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Narrative Structure

This document discusses different types of narrative structures used in storytelling including linear, non-linear, circular, open and closed narratives. It provides examples of each type of narrative structure. Linear narratives present a story in chronological order, while non-linear narratives do not follow a strict beginning-middle-end structure. Episodic narratives break a story into chapters or episodes that may not be strictly chronological. Narrative time refers to whether a story is told in the past, present or future tense.

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Sukriti Bajaj
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644 views

Narrative Structure

This document discusses different types of narrative structures used in storytelling including linear, non-linear, circular, open and closed narratives. It provides examples of each type of narrative structure. Linear narratives present a story in chronological order, while non-linear narratives do not follow a strict beginning-middle-end structure. Episodic narratives break a story into chapters or episodes that may not be strictly chronological. Narrative time refers to whether a story is told in the past, present or future tense.

Uploaded by

Sukriti Bajaj
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

BY SUKRITI BAJAJ

NARRATIVE STRUCTURES
LINEAR NARRATIVE:

(CIRCULAR, OPEN & CLOSE)


NON-LINEAR NARRATIVE
EPISODIC NARRATIVE

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
Narrative structure, a literary element, is generally

described as the structural framework that underlies the


order and manner in which a narrative is presented to a
reader, listener, or viewer.
The narrative text structures are the plot and the setting.
Generally, the narrative structure of any workbe it a film,

play, or novelcontains a plot, theme, and resolution. It


can also be divided into three sections, which are together
referred to as the three-act structure: setup, conflict, and
resolution.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The first act, the setup, is where all of the main characters and their basic

situations are introduced, and contains the primary level of


characterization (exploring the character's backgrounds and
personalities). A problem is also introduced, which is what drives the
story forward.
The second act, the conflict, is the bulk of the story, and begins when the

inciting incident (or catalyst) sets things into motion. This is the part of
the story where the characters go through major changes in their lives as
a result of what is happening; this can be referred to as the character arc,
or character development.
The third act, or resolution, is when the problem in the story boils over,

forcing the characters to confront it, allowing all the elements of the
story to come together and inevitably leading to the ending.

LINEAR NARRATIVE

LINEAR NARRATIVE
Linear narratives present stories in a logical manner by telling what

happens from one point in time to the next without using flashbacks or
flash-forwards and then returning to the present.
Linear narratives live up to their name, meaning you could draw a

straight line from the beginning to the end of a story.


These narratives start the story at the beginning and tell consecutive

events until the finale.


Most linear narratives follow a similar structure: The exposition sets

the tone and theme of the story, followed by the rising action, which
leads to the storys climax, followed by the falling action and the
denouement, or the finale.

LINEAR NARRATIVE FILMS


The Revenant
Bajirao Mastani
Sleeping Beauty
Live Free or Die Hard
Avatar
The Martian

LINEAR NARRATIVE FILMS


CIRCULAR NARRATIVE
The narrative begins at the end (or middle of events) often beginning
with the climax. The audience are taking on a arriving back where they
started. For example: Pulp Fiction
A popular variation of this narrative structure is the flashback where the
narrative begins at the climax and then seeks to illustrate how this point
was reached.
OPEN NARRATIVE
The audience are left to wonder what happens next and make sense of it
themselves . For example: Inception
CLOSE NARRATIVE
The story with the definite ending and clear conclusion for the audience.

NON-LINEAR NARRATIVE

NON-LINEAR NARRATIVE
Non-linear narrative is where the narrative does not follow a regular

beginning-middle-end pattern.
The storytellers will play the order of events.
Non-linear narratives might skip around to different points in time.
Some writers choose to write fictional and nonfictional narratives in

a form that doesn't follow events in a forward-moving, chronological


order.
Some might use a character's memories to combine the past and the

present, or jump forward and backward in time to create a more


intricate story line.

NON-LINEAR NARRATIVE FILMS


Memento
Rockstar
3 Idots
Batman Begins
Interstellar

REVERSE NARRATIVE
When writers use the reverse narrative style, they tell

the story backward in reverse chronological order,


often starting with the climax or the aftereffects of
the climax.
A reverse narrative helps create initial interest

because readers want to discover how the characters


and plot led to the dramatic, compelling and often
unexpected ending.

EPISODIC NARRATIVE

EPISODIC NARRATIVE
The story told in chapters.
The chapters may follow characters & then not be in

order.
The narrative is broken up into events or narrative

pieces.
Examples: Forrest Gump, Full Metal Jacket

EPISODIC NARRATIVE
The work involves a dynamic character, one who changes in fits and starts

throughout the course of the story.


Episodes vary in length.
Episodes are roughly chronological, but not specifically so.
A single unifying device runs throughout the story, appearing in each episode.
Episodes are not related directly by cause and effect; instead, all are related to a

central theme.
If a traditional short story is a movie, moving in a linear fashion from beginning

to end, an episodic story is more like a slide show or a music video.

NARRATIVE TIME

NARRATIVE TIME
The narrative tense or narrative time determines

the grammatical tense of the story; whether in the


past, present, or future.
Past Tense
Present Tense
Future Tense

NARRATIVE TIME
PAST TENSE
The events of the plot are depicted as occurring sometime before the
current moment or the time at which the narrative was constructed or
expressed to an audience.
PRESENT TENSE
The events of the plot are depicted as occurring now at the current
moment in real time.
In English, this tense, known as the "historical present", is more

common in spontaneous conversational narratives than in written


literature.
A recent example of this is the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

NARRATIVE TIME
FUTURE TENSE
Rare in literature, this tense portrays the events of
the plot as occurring some time in the future.
Often, these upcoming events are described such

that the narrator has foreknowledge (or supposed


foreknowledge) of the future.
Some future-tense stories have a prophetic tone.

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