“UNDERSTANDING THE NARRATIVE TEXT CLEARLY”

A.      Description of narrative writing

Base on the oxford dictionary, Narrative is spoken or written account of connected events; a story. The narrated part of a literary work, as distinct from dialogue: the practice or art of telling stories. Smalley and Ruetten on 1994 as prominent figures said that narrative has social function that is to tell stories either in present which is called present narrative, past events which called past narrative and future which called future narrative, to entertain the reader.

Base on opinion of the oxford dictionary and prominent figures above, so we can know that narrative text is text to entertain the reader about imagination of writer and to retell about story, something happen, something which is told in art but it’s different with dialogue such as: The Legend Story, Adventure Stories, Fables, Myths And Legends, Detectives Stories, Period Dramas in the past.

Because narrative tells about story in the past, so this text always uses the tenses past such as: simple past, past perfect, past continuous, and past perfect continuous. Sometimes, this text uses past future e.g (I would go to my home, I would never get accident).

The Legend of Rawa Pening

Once upon a time, there was a little poor boy came into a little village. He was very hungry and weak. He knocked at every door and asked for some food, but nobody cared about him. Nobody wanted to help the little boy.

Finally, a generous woman helped him. She gave him shelter and a meal. When the boy wanted to leave, this old woman gave him a “lesung”, a big wooden mortar for pounding rice. She reminded him, “Please remember, if there is a flood you must save yourself. Use this “lesung” as a boat”. The “lesung” was happy and thanked the old woman.The little boy continued his journey. While he was passing through the village, he saw many people gathering on the field. The boy came closer and saw a stick stuck in the ground. People challenged each other to pull out that stick. Everybody tried, but nobody succeeded. “Can I try?” asked the little boy. The crowd laughed mockingly. The boy wanted to try his luck so he stepped forward and pulled out the stick. He could do it very easily. Everybody was dumbfounded.

Suddenly, from the hole left by stick, water spouted out. It did not stop until it flooded the village. And no one was saved from the water except the little boy and the generous old woman who gave him shelter and meal. As she told him, he used the “lesung” as a boat and picked up the old woman. The whole village became a huge lake. It is now known as Rawa Pening Lake in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.

Note: To know that the narrative text uses past tenses, look at the bold types. It’s word which uses past tenses.

B.       How to differ narrative text with other writing genres

Every types of writing text has characteristic which has different by itself. To know the different between narrative text and other text, the first step we can see in generic structure from the text which we can’t see on other text. Even though the some texts almost have same characteristic, but we can differ in the specific of body the text. Let’s see the generic structure of narrative text below:

1.     Orientation	:	It is about the opening paragraph where the characters of the story are introduced Character, place and time
2.     Complication	:	Where the problems in the story developed or some crisis happen in this part.
3.     Resolution	:	Showing the way of participant of solve the crises, better or worse. The end can be open ended or close ended. Open ended is a conclusion that depends in the perception of the readers. Whereas, close ended is an end of the story which the conclusion is clearly stated. The end can be happy ending or bad ending.
4.     Coda	:	Coda which summarizes the point of the story and moral message we may get

Besides, we can differ in the language features on the text. The language features that are used in narrative text are:

·       Using Processes Verb	:	Told, said, narrated
·       Using Temporal Conjunction	:	Chronological Order
·       Using Simple Past Tense	:	Past Tense, Past Future Tense, Past  perfect, Past Continuous, and Past Continuous.

Actually the specific to differ narrative text is about the story. When we find that the story is about the legend, Fables etc. So it should narrative text. We can see also in Plot, What is going to happen; Setting: Where will the story take place? When will the story take place; Characterisation: Who are the main characters? What do they look like; Structure: How will the story begin; what will be the problem, how is the problem going to be resolved; Theme: What is the theme / message the writer is attempting to communicate?

C.      How to make a narrative writing

To make good writing, it depends on who will make it. Everyone has many way and favorite to make good writing especially in narrative text. But usually writer uses some steps or standard steps. They are:

1.         Determine the theme and topic. E.g

(The Legend and The Legend of Rawa Pening)

2.         Determine the topic sentence. E.g

(There was a little poor boy came into a little village. He was very hungry and weak.)

3.         Make supporting sentence to support your topic sentence. E.g

(He knocked at every door and asked for some food, but nobody cared about him. Nobody wanted to help the little boy.)

4.         Make complete text with orientation, complication, and resolution. After we have topic sentence and supporting sentence. We can complete our text with steps below:

1)        Orientation: as opening the text to introduce the reader about the characters, time, and place. E.g

Once upon a time, there was a little poor boy came into a little village. He was very hungry and weak. He knocked at every door and asked for some food, but nobody cared about him. Nobody wanted to help the little boy.

2)        After we have made opening to introduce about the character, time, and place. We can continue the text with make complication where the story has crisis or problem. E.g

Finally, a generous woman helped him. She gave him shelter and a meal. When the boy wanted to leave, this old woman gave him a “lesung”, a big wooden mortar for pounding rice. She reminded him, “Please remember, if there is a flood you must save yourself. Use this “lesung” as a boat”. The “lesung” was happy and thanked the old woman. The little boy continued his journey. While he was passing through the village, he saw many people gathering on the field. The boy came closer and saw a stick stuck in the ground. People challenged each other to pull out that stick. Everybody tried, but nobody succeeded. “Can I try?” asked the little boy. The crowd laughed mockingly. The boy wanted to try his luck so he stepped forward and pulled out the stick. He could do it very easily. Everybody was dumbfounded.

3)        When the story has had problem to be solved, we should make the resolution to make ending the text. The problem should solve in this case. Usually the story will be end with happy ending or bad ending. E.g

Suddenly, from the hole left by stick, water spouted out. It did not stop until it flooded the village. And no one was saved from the water except the little boy and the generous old woman who gave him shelter and meal. As she told him, he used the “lesung” as a boat and picked up the old woman. The whole village became a huge lake. It is now known as Rawa Pening Lake in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.

D.      Analyze the topic sentence with underline.

“THE GOLDEN EXPERIENCE INSIDE OF ME”

One of unforgettable day, when I was senior high school, I was a boy who studied in small school. I was believed to become a leader in my school. Some people called it “OSIS”, but in my school it was called “IPM (Ikatan Pelajar Muhammadiyah)” because I was a student in Muhammadiyah Senior High School.

Then, when I was studying math with my teacher, some people came to my school by using car. “Wow! What is happening in our school?” my friend said. I was very curious with my friend said. I tried to look them from our own window’s classroom. They were policeman and army in my city. “Mum, what is happening with our school?” I said to my teacher. “Why?” my teacher said. “Look outside please mum. There were some policeman and army there!” I said. Then, my headmaster came to my class with policeman and army. I was very afraid to them. After that, they asked all of student in my class to stand up. “What will they do with us?” my friend said. “Just silent!” answered by my other friend. The policeman looked at me and asked to go outside then stand up in front of army who had been waiting there. I was confused about it “What I did so I called by him?” my whisper flared up from my heart. I was only silent when I stood up in front of him. He looked at me in detail. “Just Relax boy, everything will be ok! You’re the ones who we finding of!” He said to me. “What I did?” I said. “Haha! Don’t be frighten, just become a boy. I’m saying is you are one of candidates of National Flag Hoister (Paskibaraka) as agency from this regency. But, before it you have to follow the instruction from us” He said. I have no sense somehow I got something that really I wanted. Then, they went out from our school while prompted few of word “Don’t tell it to others!” he asked me. After that day, I always did the instruction such as: push up and set up before went to sleep and after got up, pull up and marathon every morning. I had done it for a half of months. It was very difficult for me because I was a boy who never liked having a sport.

Day by the day passed, I was called by the policeman to ask me how far I tried to become a suitable candidate of National Flag Hoister (Paskibraka). He checked me. “Oh, not too bad!” he said. Then I was asked to practice about Peraturan Baris-Berbaris (PBB) to prepare it for around 7 days. Finally, I followed the Selection of Candidate Paskibraka Regency level. And I became the best of all participants. Then, I was sent to follow the selection Paskibraka Province Level. As the good day for me, I became one of ten best participants to become candidate Paskibraka National level. I followed the processing to become one of them as winner to go Jakarta as agency from my Province, but I failed. “My golden way is only here as Paskibraka Province level” whisper flew up from my heart with a little discontentedly. I practiced Peraturan Baris Berbaris as preparing for Birthday Indonesian Republic (HUT RI).

At the last, we is Paskibraka Province Level who had done our duty well. Even some of army said that we were the best Paskibraka than before, so we were given surprising by our governor to travel to abroad such as: Malaysia and Singapore.

E.       Why the sentence is called as the topic sentence?

The topic sentence is to develop our own topic which the topic will be supported by supporting sentence. It’s meant that topic sentence is directive to increase our text. so that our supporting sentence can be matched with the topic sentence or to make supporting sentence does not swerve with our topic.

On the example of the text above; why the topic sentence is said topic sentence? The topic sentence above is the main point of the sentence after. The sentences after or supporting sentences above is to support the topic sentence.