Narrative essays are somehow similar to novels, and stories however, it should have direct connotations and representation to the real world most especially to the readers and author himself. The setting, story plot, and components has a real essence to human life (e.g., person’s life, poverty, developmental stories). It nevertheless has a connection to a person rather than abstract interpretation.
A narrative essay, like any other academic works, has a structure. However, because it could be a kind of informal writing about a real-life experience of the author, or a particular person but less of an autobiography. It utilizes a story and tells it to the reader then interpreting the story in such humanized manner.
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Structure 1 – Integral Elements of Narrative Essay
The elements are the backbone of a story or narrative essays. The elements will determine the entire course of story, the conflict, characters and the components of their personality. This have to be consistent throughout the story.
Characters: these are the people involved to the story. A narrative essay should have characters in them to drive the story across the conflict. The study has to revolve to a certain character.
Plot: the sequence of events of the narrative essay. It could follow chronological or semi-chronological depending on the style and preference of author either to add drama or hook their readers. The sequence is still based on the order of events in reference to other elements developed in the essay.
Setting: this is an element that shows the area, the atmosphere, overall outlook of where the story takes place. It could ensure time, how the surrounding looks, or the physical aspects of the story. It definitely tells the physical details and mood of the surrounding.
Conflict: a difficulty that the character must solve, a tense situation that he must overcome. Conflict is the problem which the character is facing throughout the journey. This could be person vs. himself, person vs. society, person vs. nature. This drives the story to adventure towards the ending.
Theme: this is the main point of the story. The essence of the story is the main theme. It could be inspiring, eye-opener, representation of a certain scenarios. This is the reason or motive of the author in telling the story. Unlike novels, and short stories, the narrative essay states its theme to the story itself. It represent the entire takeaways and morals of the story.
Structure 2 – Major Components
If the elements are the backbone of the story, components or portions are the bridge to the actual events. The story is divided into portions to highlight transition and differentiate events that are essential to describe the story. This will add to structures, motion, actions and work of the characters to a certain conflict. This starts from introduction of the characters to revelation of conflict affecting them.
These components are the guide of readers to what is the essence of writing and how they affect them. Poorly built chronological orders will affect the understanding the story as well as his do the readers interpret them.
Exposition: This is the part of the story when you give background information on the key characters and the setting. This is the introduction of the characters and how they interact according to their personalities and personal aspects.
The exposition is similar to denouement which crawls the story to the main adventure course. It is most likely normally developed with neutral to joyful events.
Rising action: This is the point at which conflict arises. The rising action introduces the conflict and how it affected the life of the main characters. It made changes in emotions to dramatic and expressive. The rising action drives the readers to the conflict of interest between the main characters to a certain event cause by problems.
Climax: this component of narrative essay is concerned to the effect of the problems to main characters. The conflict is being solve by the characters which induce more actions and problem. This will add to how do the main characters conform with the conflict they have. The main characters crossed the major totality of the conflict including the story aspects.
Falling action: this shows the solution of the conflict and the aftereffects of it to the life of the characters. This also bridge the readers to the motives of the story. The falling action is the wrap up of the story based on the themes and conflict.
Resolution: the conclusion is brought to the readers. Resolution determines the ending of the story and pronouncement of the story themes. The conclusion has to build the story relation to the readers and how it is necessary to create connection to real-life aspects of story. The resolution shows the essence of the narrative story itself.
Structure 3 - Basic Paragraphing Style
The basic paragraphing style is the least preferred structure of narrative essays most especially among literate people. This style, however, commonly used by students with basic understanding to writing essays as a whole.
Introduction: this part appears on the top of the narrative essay. Similar to exposition above, this essentially introduces the characters, their story or background, their purpose on the story itself. But the difference is that the introduction is often linking to the theme of the story than of the main character.
This means it gives ideas on what is the content and context of the essay. It revolves on the messages rather than the story plot and chronological orders. It provides the meaning or connection to the readers at the first part.
Body: this is the content of the story or essay. The body shoes what happens, how it happens, what the main character did to solve the conflict. The body also shows some insights about the story theme and how it connect to the readers. It has very simple way of expressing based on the preference of author on how do the readers interact with the story.
Conclusion: this is the ending of the story including the main point of writing. This makes the readers reflect to what they had read and give feedback if it is relevant to their life. The conclusion also show how the story represent each of the person possibly involve in the real scenario and allows the readers to think critically and constructively.
There are also other ways in creating narrative essay based on other components of narrating styles. They follow similar structures relevant to conventional sequence of story.
Conventional structure is according to paragraph-based components which increase the transitions of stories to one part toward the climax.
These structures are necessary to create a narrative essay. These coexist with the other which means they have to build one another. The structures are the necessary components to build a powerful narrative essay.
A narrative essay shows the chronological orders of the invents including the interpretation of the events to their readers.
These general structures are integral to increase the reliability of the story an author made.
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