NARRATIVE TEXT

A. DEFINITION OF NARRATIVE TEXT

Narrative text is one of 13 genres from narration text which has function to tell the past and amuse the readers. The others text are:

1)      Recount                         5) Analytical Exposition                9)   Review

2)      Descriptive                    6) Hortatory (teguran)                   10) Anecdote    

3)      Report                            7) Procedure                                 11) Spoof (Lelucon)

4)      Explanation                    8) Discussion                                12) News Item

B. THE FUNCTION OF NARRATIVE TEXT

To amuse / entertain the readers about the story in the past in relation with experience, imagination or complicated events which move from critical situation to the completion.

= Untuk menghibur pembaca mengenai cerita di masa lalu yang berhubungan dengan pengalaman, imajinasi ataupun kejadian2 rumit yang bergerak dari situasi yg kritis menuju penyelesaian.

C. GENERIC STRUCTURE OF NARRATIVE TEXT

1) Orientation (Pengenalan)

•  Characters -------- tokoh tokoh dalam cerita

•  Setting (place & time) --- tempat dan waktu kejadian cerita

•  Time: once upon a time, one day, etc (Waktu dalam narrative text tidak specific)

2) Complication : show the crisis or the problem (permasalahan dalam cerita tsb)

3) Resolution : how to solve the problem (penyelesaian masalahnya)

4) Coda :

•  the alteration from the characters  --- perubahan sikap / bentuk dari tokoh dalam cerita

•  message can be taken from the story ---- pesan moral yg bisa diambil dari cerita

D. Examples of Narrative Text

1. The Apple Tree And A Boy

Once upon a time, there was a huge apple tree which gave tasty apples to the people around it. There was also a little boy who became a close friend to the apple tree. The boy used to play with apple tree, climb its branches, sleep under its shadow, pluck its apples, etc. Every day he visited the apple tree, and ate some apples. The apple tree was kind to the boy and enjoying spending time together.

One day, the boy joined in school and didn't have a time to spend with apple tree. After several days, the boy came to the tree. The apple tree was so happy to see the boy. It asked the boy to play. Unfortunately, the boy said he was not a child anymore. He didn't want to play with  the tree. But he asked another request to the apple tree.

The tree asked what the boy wanted. The boy said he needed toys, but his parents didn't have money to buy it for him.

The tree said, "Dear my boy, i don't have any money to buy it for you, but you can pick my apples, then sell them, get money and buy  the toys you want."

The boy went happily to his home after plucking apples. The tree was waiting to see the boy return. But he never came back for many years. The apple tree was sad and it didn't produce any apples anymore.

Moral value : Never forget about someone kindness.

2. The Most Beautiful Heart

Once upon a time, a young man was shouting in a crowded place.

"Hey people, look at me! I have the most beautiful heart in this town." Every person looked at him and amazed to see his beautiful heart in perfect shape which looked so amazing. Many people who saw his heart praised him.

However, an old man came and challenged him. 

"No boy, I have the most beautiful heart in the world."

"Show your heart, old man!" the young man asked

The old man showed his heart to him. It was not in perfect shape. There were so many scars on his heart. His heart looked like various pieces of heart collected together and formed as a heart.

The young man laughed at him. "The old man, are you serious? Come and see my heart! How beautiful it is. My heart is so perfect, you can't find any imperfections in my heart. And look yours. There are so many scars. How can you say your heart is beautiful?"

"The old man said "Boy, my heart is beautiful as your heart. Can you see the rough shape and scars? Each scar represents the love I have shared with a person. I give a piece of my heart when I share the love to a person in return I get a piece of heart from them, which I put at the place where I had torn a piece!"

The young man was so shocked.

The old man continued. "Since the pieces of heart, I shared were no equal and have no same shape or size, my heart is full of uneven edges."

"My heart is not in good shape because sometimes I never get the love from those I gave it. So, can you see the real beauty of my heart? Your heart, which look beautiful with no scars indicates you never want to share the love with anybody. Do you?"

The young man shocked and stood still. He didn't speak any words. Tears came and rolling down to his cheeks. He Suddenly, he came to the old man, torn a piece of his beautiful heart. He gave the piece to the old man.

Moral value : Physical appearance is not the real beauty!

3. The Ant And The Grasshopper

One summer day, there was a grasshopper who chirped and sang about its heart content. Then, an ant passed by, bearing a sweet candy that he was taking to his nest.

"Why don't you come and sing with me instead of moiling and toiling away?" The grasshopper said.

"I am preparing the foods for the winter. You have to do the same." the ant replied.

"Why? I don't have any worries about winter. I have got plenty of foods." said the grasshopper.

But the ant left the grasshopper and continued its toil. Then, the winter came, the grasshopper found there was no food left to eat. It was so hungry. The grasshopper remembered when it saw the ants collecting the foods in summer for the stock in winter.

Then the grasshopper knew he was so wrong didn't follow the ant in collecting the foods

Moral Value : Work today and you can get the benefits tomorrow.