Rhetoric and Composition/Narration
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[edit] What is Narration?
Narration is used just like reasons and examples to support a thesis, and it can be based on fact or invention. It is often used to increase reader interest or dramatize a point the writer wants to make. For example, Aesop wrote fables for his clients to use in their legal defense. They were short, easy to remember, and illustrated the client’s argument. Traditionally, narration was used to recount the facts of a legal case, in order to put them into context and structure them in the best possible light for the speaker’s purpose. Plutarch used narration as the basis for his comparison of Greek and Roman notables. In his 1989 history of the Civil War, Battle Cry of Freedom, James MacPherson uses narration to support the theme of the contingency of history. In short, narration has been used as proof for a long time.
[edit] Forms
There are several forms of narration: fable, anecdote, history, and myth, among others. The story provides an example or model that supports the thesis. In Aesop’s fables as we see them today, the thesis is the moral of the fable, teaching the reader or listener how to behave. It is organized inductively, the narration leading to the thesis, rather than the other way around. It is a lesson learned. Consider the following:
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper," instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.
(http://www.aesopfables.com/cgi/aesop1.cgi?1&TheAntandtheGrasshopper&&antgrass2.ram)
[edit] Elements
Even such a short story as the fable above fulfills the minimum requirements for any narration:
- A beginning, middle, and end
- A main character, perhaps others as well
- A setting in time and place
- Motivated (or caused) action
- Supports the thesis ("It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.")
[edit] Classical Arrangement
The classical arrangement using narration as a method of inductive proof in support of an argument would be the following:
- Introduction
- Narrative
- Proposition (thesis)
- Confirmation (more examples, reasons, or narration)
- Refutation (of competing explanations)
- Conclusion1
[edit] Modern Practice
Today, writers commonly begin their essay with a short narrative which leads to the thesis, which is then supported more conventionally with reasons and examples.
For real world examples of the use of narrative in supporting or introducing an argument, check out the following:
- Goldhill, Simon. “On Knowingness,” Critical Inquiry: 32 (Summer 2006). (Through JSTOR)
- Gould, Stephen J.. "Men of the Thirty-third Division: A Lesson on Integrity." Eight Little Piggies. Stephen J. Gould. New York: W. W. Norton, 1993. (Gould used the strategy frequently in his essays for Nature Magazine.)
- Orwell, George. “Shooting an Elephant.” http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/887/
- Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Chapter 12, "Brute Neighbors.” http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/t/thoreau/henry_david/walden/chapter12.html
[edit] Student Essay
Below is a description of the process one might go through to write an essay supporting the thesis with narration.
Answer the following questions:
- What is the purpose of your essay? What point do you want to make?
- What specific statement (thesis) do you want your story to support?
- What audience do you wish to address? Your professor? Your classmates? Some fictional audience? This will determine how formal or informal you can be, what assumptions you have of what your audience knows and likes.
- What is your setting, in time and place? Or, where and when does the story take place?
- Which events best illustrate your purpose in telling the story? Which events are clear in your mind, and will be most easily related? What is the best order to relate the events? Treat this question like a brainstorming process, and list as many events as you can remember. Then narrow your list to the most pertinent to your thesis statement and inherent purpose.
In our example essay, the writer may start with the events of his freshman year, going all the way through to his senior year.
Once you have stated the purpose of your essay, formulated a thesis, selected an audience, identified a setting, and brainstormed the events of your story, it is time to begin writing. Keep in mind that the more detail and description you can fit into your essay, the more the story will come alive for the reader. Also, your conclusion should relate how the events in the story changed you as a person with regard to your purpose.
AGLUYA, CRESCINTI BSA-1-C
My experience playing High School basketball taught me skills which will benefit me throughout the rest of my life. It all started during the fall of my freshman year at Otucan Bila National High School, when I quickly found out how important time management is. I had my schoolwork, which was fourteen credits including an extremely difficult Mathematics class. I had basketball, which included meetings and practice every day and running and lifting a couple times of week. I also had my social life, another important aspect, especially to a twelve year old.
My sophomore year taught me how to deal with adversity. I broke my leg during the second game of the season against Team Angels, and I learned how something that seems devastating can be seen in a positive light. I learned that life will always have something unexpected in store, but learning to deal with it makes us stronger people.
My junior year taught me how to set goals and achieve them in a team atmosphere. Our team that year had a mission to make the playoffs, and we were not going to let anything get in our way. We really came together that year because we all had a common goal. I learned that a group can achieve wonderful things if all of the group members work together and believe in each other.
My senior year in basketball taught me how to be a leader. I was elected team captain by my teammates, which showed me that my peers respected me and knew they could rely on me. Leadership does not come easily however. I learned that leadership must not only be earned, but it also must be kept. I was always conscious of the way I acted and spoke, because I knew my teammates were looking to me for strength.
Each year I played High School basketball taught me something not only about myself but also about the nature of the world and the people who inhabit the world. I learned how to balance my time, deal with adversity, the true meaning of teamwork, and how to be a respected leader. These skill-building activities will benefit me throughout the rest of my life.
[edit] Revision Hints
As with any form of essay, it is always important to go back and revise the first draft. Proofread the essay carefully, and look for ways to improve its overall appearance. In the case of narration, make sure the story flows for the audience. Do the events of the story make sense? Also, look to make sure that each event relates directly back to the purpose and thesis. Does this particular event reinforce my thesis? When writing a narration, it is also important to look for ways to make the story more vivid for the audience. Go back and include as many descriptive words and details as possible. Once you are satisfied with your product, make a clean and neat final copy.
[edit] External Links
1D’Angelo, Frank J. Composition in the Classical Tradition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon; 2000; p. 22.
