Labov and narrative structure Week 2 Hugo Bowles

Big story approach - Labov Long stories obtained though interview (“tell me about a life-threatening experience you have had”) � a story has a structure � a story has a chain of events and a most reportable event � a story has a point according to Labov, if these are not present, then you don’t have a story

“veni, vidi, vici” �Would Labov think this is a story? �autobiographical, chain of past events but … - no “most reportable event” - no “point” �So perhaps not a story for Labov

“I got up” is not a narrative �A narrative is more than a statement about a reportable event. If the reportable event is not an everyday occurrence then it requires an account. �A reportable event needs prior events to be explained (“how did that happen? ) �So a story has a most reportable event and prior events

“I got up and smashed my head against the door” IS a narrative �“I smashed my head against the door” is the most reportable event �“I got up” is a prior event, causally linked to the most reportable events Finding the most reportable event and the prior events is called narrative pre-construction

What is the most reportable event in the Robbery story ?

What is the most reportable event in the Horses story ?

What are the prior events?

Labov’s structure � Abstract = initial clause that reports the sequence of events � Orientation = setting or context of narrative � Complicating action = the set of events (chronologically ordered clauses) � Evaluation = answers “what’s the point”? � Resolution = ends the complicating action(s) � Coda – returns story to the present

How to do a Labov-style analysis 1. Find the most reportable event This could be the resolution 2. Find the sequence of prior events These constitute the complicating action(s) 3. Identify the orientation 4. Identify the abstract 5. Identify the coda