Narrative Genre: Elements, Structure, and Forms

Features of the Narrative Genre

Event and Plot

The events are the occurrences, past or present, in the story. These events form the plot.

• Closed Linear Structure: Has a beginning, middle, and end.
• Open Non-linear Structure: Episodes accumulate without following a strict timeline.

Characters

Characters develop the narrative action and intervene in the story.

• The protagonist is the principal character.
• The antagonist is the character who opposes the hero.
• Some works feature collective characters, involving many characters where none stand out above the others.

Based on characterization, characters can be:

• Archetypal: Representing universal patterns.
• Psychological Models: Described with multiple features and evolving throughout the work.

Time

Time is another element inseparable from the narrative genre.

• External Time: Coincides with real-world time.
• Indictment/Summary: Condenses information.
• Scene Time: Presents the facts in their actual duration.
• Pause: Slows down the pace of the story.
• Narrative Digression: Halts the action to introduce a reflection.

Space

Space is the medium in which things develop and characters live. It can be:

• Objective: The external world, real landscapes, etc.
• Subjective: The impression that the character has of reality.

Narrator

The narrator is the central figure and assumes the voice that speaks. In some cases, the narrator may yield the floor to a character.

• Omniscient Narrator: Speaks in the third person and knows everything, even the most intimate details of the characters.
• Witness Narrator: Also in the third person, describes what is seen without interfering with the events.
• Character Narrator: A character who speaks in the first person. The work takes on an autobiographical look.
• Second-Person Narrator: The narrator's voice addresses the protagonist, allowing the reader to identify with them.

Main Forms

• Epic Poem: Recounts, in verse, the exploits of a hero.
• Story: A brief narrative with an exemplary character and didactic purpose.
• Fable: A tale featuring animals with a strong didactic character, usually in verse.
• Novel: A long story with a complex plot that usually develops in chapters.
• Drama: This genre presents dialogue as a conflict between different characters. A drama is designed to be represented.