1. Evaluation
Linear/Non-linear
My story is linear. This is because my story doesn’t deviate from the story; the
timeline stays straight from start to finish. Furthermore, there are no sub-plots,
which take the narrative in a different direction.
An example of a story that is non-linear would be pulp fiction; this is because the
story’s narrative takes lots of turns due to the vast amount of flashbacks and
glimpses into the future of the plot.
Open/closed narrative
My story is a closed narrative. The reason for this is that my story comes to an
end. The reason I chose to bring my story to a conclusion is because children do
not yet possess the mental capacity in order to work out why the story doesn’t
have an end. Therefore, by bringing my story to an end I am able to simplify the
overall narrative, making my book more appropriate for a child.
An example of a story which is an open narrative would be The Hunger Games,
the film ends with no dialogue, instead the viewer sees the main character full of
anger and ready to seek revenge, this leaves the narrative open and ready to
continue onto the next installment in the franchise.
Single/Multiple strands
My book is a single strand narrative. I chose to have my story as a single strand
narrative because children would struggle to keep up with a series of stories
within the same book, whereas a single strand narrative allows them to easily
keep on track with what is happening to the same characters and their story,
instead of going on a tangent and introducing lots of new characters which bring
sub-plots into the main story.
An example of a multi-strand story is Rocky. This is because in the film we follow
the main character’s story, however we also get introduced to new characters
and get an insight into their place in the main narrative of the story, this often
creates sub-plots and adds strands to the storyline.
Realist/Anti-realist
My book has an anti-realist story. This is because my story contains unrealistic
events, which are highly unlikely to happen in the real world. Examples of these
in my story are the way that the wolves and talk, the witch possesses magical
powers which turn a wolf into a human child, this scene acts as the main pivotal
point in the narrative.
An example of a film with a realist narrative would be a TV documentary series
such as Benefit Street. This documentary gives the viewers a real life
2. representation of the people they are filming and their lives. I know this is an
example of a realist narrative because the events, locations and characters are all
acting naturally, like they would without camera’s filming them.
Manipulation of time and space
My book does not include any manipulation of time and space. The reason for
this is that the narrative goes in a linear direction and doesn’t go forwards or
backwards with glimpses into the future of the story or flashbacks which take
the reader back before the opening of the book’s narrative.
An example of time and space being manipulated is The Fast & The Furious. This
is because at the climax of the film there is a race between the two main
characters, both driving cars which are claimed by the characters to be able to
cover the distance of a quarter mile from stand still, in 10 seconds or less.
However, the race scene is several minutes long.
Components of the story -
Opening – The opening of my story includes the introduction of the main
protagonist. Furthermore, the opening also sets the scene for the story as the
opening page depicts the protagonist walking through a forest. The opening also
establishes the characteristics of the protagonist and gives the audience an idea
of who they are.
An example of a story with a good opening is the expendables. This story has a
good opening because the scene is set and the audience gets an introduction to
each character. This is because each character has a memorable moment in the
opening scene, such as Jason Statham who has a comedic role in the opening
scene, making the opening enjoyable for audiences and giving them a taste of
what the rest of the film is going to be like.
Conflict – The conflict of my story is the introduction of the Witch. The witch is
the main antagonist of my story and ultimately takes control of the story and the
direction in which it goes. As opposed to the character not being introduced and
little brown wolf making it to his cousin’s cottage safely with no altercations at
all.
A story, which exemplifies a conflict within the narrative, is Rocky V. The conflict
of the story is when the main character, rocky, goes into debt and loses all of his
money and possessions. This is the main conflict of the story because it puts the
main character into a position where the audience is compelled to empathize
them.
3. Resolution – The resolution of my story is where Barky decides to continue
looking for Little Brown Wolf. This is the ending scene and leaves the reader
with the knowledge that Barky is Little Red Riding Hood.
An example of a story with a good resolution is finding Nemo. The resolution of
this story is that at the end Nemo is found and all the characters are given the
cliché ending of living happily ever after.
Enigma – The enigma of my story is that my book is a prequel to the traditional
tale of Little Red Riding Hood. This is a puzzle for the reader to work out,
because it is not revealed at any point during the book except the end, that Barky
is Little Red Riding Hood. When Barky is transformed into a human child, she is
wearing a red hood. This is a hint to the reader that the story links directly to the
traditional tale.
An example of a story with an enigma is The Adjustment Bureau. The enigma
within this story is that the main character discovers that agents of ‘fate’ are
trying to stop him being with a girl that he has fallen in love with.
Climax – The climax of my book is when Little Brown Wolf falls down the
witches trap. Once he is in the trap, little brown wolf cries for help and it is
revealed to the reader that he was never seen again, removing the character of
Little Brown Wolf from the story.
An example of a climax from another story is the film Taken. This is the point in
the film where the action scene draws the film to a close and finishes the story
with a large climax.
