NARRATIVE THEORYEthan Payne

Narrative Structure Is your narrative linear or non-linear?• A linear narrative is where the story goes from beginning to end in

chronological order. This means from one moment to the next with no flashbacks or flash-forwards then returning to present time.

• Non-linear narrative on the other hand is where the narrative is disrupted with jumps in time such as flashbacks resulting in the story not following a chronological structure.

My story “The Grey Caterpillar” is a linear narrative because each page is in chronological order and there are no distortions in time such as flashbacks or flash-forwards. An example of a non-linear narrative story is the 2010 ‘David Fincher’ film called “The Social Network”. This film jumps back and forth in time many times throughout showing him creating Facebook. This film is not chronological.

Narrative Structure Is it an open or closed narrative?• An open narrative is where the story line does not come to an end. It ends on

a cliff hanger and leaves the reader not knowing what happens. • A closed narrative is where the story line comes to an end. There is a

conclusion which clearly puts an end to the plot.

My book is a closed narrative as the end of my book has a clear conclusion. It ends with the grey caterpillar becoming a beautiful butterfly and finishes with him being happy.An example of an open narrative story line is in Soap Operas such as “Coronation Street” as each episode ends on a cliff hanger for more to happen on the next episode. In a way it never ends and is always a closed narrative.

Narrative Structure Does it have a single or multiple strands?• A single stranded narrative is a story that only follows one storyline. The story

does not jump between two story lines, it only focuses on the one.• A multi-strand narrative is a story that follows many different story lines

throughout and jumps between them.

My story is a single stranded narrative as my story of the grey caterpillar is the only story line my book consists of. A good example of a multi-stranded narrative is Soap Operas. They follow the storylines of several different characters within the same episode and and these storylines overlay and link in different ways.

Narrative Structure Is it a realist or anti-realist narrative?• A realist narrative is where the events in the story are realistic and are

believable. A realist narrative is usually based on the day to day events of normal peoples lives.

• An anti-realist narrative is where the events in the story are not realistic. They include characters, locations and events that are not likely to happen.

My story is an anti-realist narrative because the entire story consists of talking caterpillars and bug in the treetops of a make believe meadow. I chose to do an anti-realist narrative because I wanted something exciting for the children but I also wanted them to learn from it so it had to be relatable and understandable.A good example of an anti-realist narrative is any fantasy film or book such as “Harry Potter”. The Potter books consists of make believe wizards.

Narrative Components • Opening: The opening of a book is the beginning of a book. This is where usually

the location and sometimes the main character(s) is established. The opening sets the scene and gives a first impression of what the location etc. is like,

• Conflict: The conflict of a book is where a bad situation or problem arises that the protagonist has to overcome. The conflict is usually where the protagonist is struggling between an opposing force. This drives the story and with no conflict the story would have no purpose.

• Resolution: The resolution of the story is where the original conflict is resolved. This is typically where the story ends or is coming to an end.

• Enigma: The enigmas of a story is a confusing or unexplainable situation. • Climax: The climax of story is where the conflict is at its highest tension. This

would probably be the most dramatic time in the story and the resolution would possibly be approaching.

• Manipulation of Time and Space: This is where time is stretched by having flash-forwards and flashbacks introduced to jump forward and backwards in time to explain the story. Or time can be condensed to spare time, for example a 3 hour train journey in a film can be condensed into a 5 minute scene.

Narrative Components Which ‘Narrative Components’ have you used and why?Opening:• My book consists of an opening where I establish the setting (Mushroom

Meadow) and I establish some characters which are the blue caterpillars. I put forward the meadow as colourful, bright and happy.

Conflict:• The conflict in my book consists of the blue caterpillars bullying the grey

caterpillar for being grey. This results in the grey caterpillar being very sad. This is where we find the story to have purpose because the conflict helps put forward the moral of the book.

Resolution:• The resolution in my story is where the grey caterpillar is told by his older

brother that being different and unique is a good thing. This is the point in my book where the grey caterpillar realises that there is nothing to be upset about. The resolution usually comes when the book is coming to an end and the resolution in my book is when the grey caterpillar is about to transform into a beautiful butterfly.

Narrative Components Which ‘Narrative Components’ have you used and why?Climax:• The climax in my book is the point where the conflict in the book is at its

highest tension. My climax is where the grey caterpillar is exposed for covering his body in the stain from the blue bon bon leaf. This results in having the resolution on the next page which is accurate as the resolution comes after the climax.

Manipulation of Time and Space:• There is one point in my book where I condense a long period of time. This is

when all of the caterpillars go to sleep inside their cocoons. It takes an average of two weeks for a caterpillar to turn into an adult butterfly, however is did not show two weeks of cocooning in my book, I simply skipped this long time scale and had them emerge from the cocoons on the next page.