Narrative Techniques

• • Point of View
  • First Person: The narrator is a character in the story, using "I" or "we."
  • Third Person Limited: The narrator is outside the story but only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.
  • Third Person Omniscient: The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.
• Narrative Structure

  • Linear Structure: The story is told in chronological order.
  • Non-linear Structure: The story might include flashbacks, flash-forwards, or other ways of disrupting the chronological flow.
  • Framed Narrative: A story within a story.
• Characterization

  • Direct Characterization: The author directly describes a character’s traits.
  • Indirect Characterization: Traits are revealed through a character’s actions, speech, thoughts, or interactions with others.
• Dialogue

  • Used to develop characters, advance the plot, and reveal relationships.
• Tone and Mood

  • Tone: The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience (e.g., ironic, formal, informal).
  • Mood: The atmosphere or feeling created by the text (e.g., suspenseful, melancholic).
• Symbolism

  • Objects, characters, or events that represent larger ideas or themes.
• Foreshadowing

  • Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
• Flashbacks

  • A scene set in a time earlier than the main story.
• Irony

  • Verbal Irony: Saying the opposite of what is meant.
  • Situational Irony: When the opposite of what is expected happens.
  • Dramatic Irony: The audience knows something the characters do not.

   
• Imagery

  • Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell).
• Motif

  • A recurring element (image, theme, word, symbol) that has significance in a story.
• Allusion

  • A reference to another text, event, or significant cultural element.
• Juxtaposition

  • Placing two elements side by side to highlight their differences or similarities.
• Allegory

  • A narrative that acts as an extended metaphor, where characters and events represent broader ideas and concepts.
• Stream of Consciousness

  • A narrative mode that attempts to capture the flow of thoughts and feelings passing through a character's mind.
• Pacing

  • The speed at which the narrative moves. It can be fast to create excitement or slow to build suspense or reflection.
• Cliffhanger

  • Ending a chapter or scene at a crucial point to keep the reader’s interest.
• Pathetic Fallacy

  • Attributing human emotions to nature or inanimate objects to reflect the mood of the narrative (e.g., stormy weather to reflect turmoil).
• Epiphany

  • A sudden realization or insight experienced by a character.
• Foil

  • A character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight particular qualities of the main character.
• must mentions:

  • narrative perspective
  • first person/inner monologue - to see thoughts of the main character and characterisation of the main character, forming a relationship with he readers
  • third person - variety of character perspectives to gauge relationship dynamics and inner emotions that affect the way they interact with other characters
  • connotations of words
  • symbolism
  • characterisation
  • themes
  • sentence structures
  • irony
  • mood/atmosphere
  • five senses imagery