Narrative Plot Structure

What is Narrative Text? Narrative refers to a story—an account of events or experiences

Parts of a Narrative Story Character—a person in the story we learn about through their speech, thoughts, appearance, actions, and reactions Setting—the place where the story is set Problem or Conflict—the struggle in the story (man vs man, man vs nature, man vs self) Events—the things that take place in the story that are important and lead to the climax and the resolution (also known as Rising Action and Falling Action) Climax—the most intense part of the story, physically or emotionally Resolution—the conclusion, tying up all the loose ends, telling how it all ended up

Beginning, Middle and End Every story can be broken up into three parts: the beginning, the middle and the end. Beginning Middle End Characters Setting Problem or Conflict Events in the Rising Action Climax Event(s) in the Falling Action Resolution or Conclusion

Plotting the Story on the Plot Pyramid Once you can determine the beginning, middle and end of the story as well as the characters, problem, climax and solution, you are ready to plot the story on a pyramid like the one below:

Middle/ Climax Most intense part Rising Action Events Falling Action Events Beginning/ Exposition Characters Setting Problem Ending/ Resolution Was the problem solved? If yes, how?

The Princess and the Pea     Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess; but she would have to be a real princess. He travelled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were princesses enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. There was always something about them that was not as it should be. So he came home again and was sad, for he would have liked very much to have a real princess.     

  One evening a terrible storm came on; there was thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in torrents. Suddenly a knocking was heard at the city gate, and the old king went to open it.       It was a princess standing out there in front of the gate. But, good gracious! what a sight the rain and the wind had made her look. The water ran down from her hair and clothes; it ran down into the toes of her shoes and out again at the heels. And yet she said that she was a real princess.      

"Well, we'll soon find that out," thought the old queen "Well, we'll soon find that out," thought the old queen. But she said nothing, went into the bed-room, took all the bedding off the bedstead, and laid a pea on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the pea, and then twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses.     

On this the princess had to lie all night   On this the princess had to lie all night. In the morning she was asked how she had slept.       "Oh, very badly!" said she. "I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It's horrible!"      

Now they knew that she was a real princess because she had felt the pea right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds.       Nobody but a real princess could be as sensitive as that.       So the prince took her for his wife, for now he knew that he had a real princess; and the pea was put in the museum, where it may still be seen, if no one has stolen it.      

Beginning- Exposition Climax-Middle Princess couldn’t sleep because of the pea-they knew she was a real princess The Queen invited the princess to sleep on 20 mattresses with a pea under the bottom one Falling Action Rising Action The prince and princess marry A “princess” knocked on the door in a storm Prince searched for a princess, but couldn’t find one End-Resolution Beginning- Exposition The princess is a real princess-She and the prince marry and live happily ever after A prince in a kingdom who can’t find a real princess to become his wife

Characterization Author’s reveal a character’s personality either directly or indirectly. Indirect characterization is when an character is revealed through his/her: A- appearance S-speech (what he/she says) T-thoughts and feelings A-actions R-reactions

Characterization (continued) The main character is called the PROTAGONIST. -Example: Little Red Riding Hood The villain of a story is called the ANTAGONIST. -Example: The Big Bad Wolfe

Characterization (continued) A character can either be static or dynamic. Static characters –stay the same throughout the story Dynamic characters- change as a result of the events in the story.

CONFLICT CONFLICT- is when a problem occurs between 2 opposing forces. There are two main types of conflict; Internal- A problem occurs on the inside of a character External- A problem occurs on the outside of a character.

Internal Conflict Internal conflict is when a character has a problem within him/herself. The participants of the conflict are: the individual vs. self

External Conflict External conflicts are problems that occur outside of a character. It involves the character and some external force. The participants could be: Individual vs. Individual Individual vs. Society Individual vs. Nature Individual vs. Supernatural Individual vs. Technology

Analyze “Song of the Trees” Draw a plot structure chart and label the parts of the story. Identify the protagonist and any possible antagonists. Identify whether or not the main character is static or dynamic? Explain. Identify the type of conflict and the participants. Explain.