Chapter 6 Prose Narration Introduction Human beings are

Chapter 6 Prose Narration

Introduction �Human beings are natural storytellers �Narration – “… telling by a narrator of something that has happened or that might happen, either to the narrator or to someone else. ” �Things to know: � Who is telling the story? To whom? � What is going on here, exactly? � What sort of people live in this story? � What are they saying to each other? � Where is all this taking place?

Point of View �“Every story is shaped by its narrator, who establishes a point of view, a way to experience the world from a particular vantage point. ” �Understand narrator/narration as a way of “unlocking” a unique interpretation �Types: � First-person � Second-person � Third-person

Action and Plot �Action – “sequence of visible or discernible physical happenings, the movement that courses through events. ” �Plot orders action, but they are not synonymous �Crisis – point of no return

Character �Narrative creates character through action �Characters are defined through internal and external action �“… the character is greater than the sum of his or her attributes. ”

Dialogue �Dialogue may trip the interpreter � Direct discourse – verbatim words from character � Indirect discourse – blends character quotation and narrator’s reporting � Narrator transformed – narrator summarizes �Spend sufficient time with dialogue to polish your interpretation.

Character & Setting �Read the whole story for context �Characters exist and act in relation to their various settings �Create vividness of character and location