How to analyze narrative texts

1. Dr Rohit Bagthariya

2.  You've read the story, questioned the
characters' motives and tried to predict the
next plot twist. Now, the hard part begins:
analyzing the narrative, examining its
elements to determine how they create a
collective meaning. Whether you're reading a
novel for a book club or writing an essay for
English class, analyzing a narrative can
reveal important details related to the story's
theme, development and overall craft.

4.  Stories, essays and novels all feature a sequence
of events that begins with exposition, or
introduction to the characters, setting and
conflict, gradually builds to a climax and ends
with resolution. As you analyze plot, consider
what events in the story might represent each of
these stages. You might examine how the
narrative's opening scene sets the tone for what's
coming, the logic in the sequence of events and
the significance of the story's ending. You can
also identify the major conflict the characters
face in the story, what's at stake for them and
how the plot structure portrays its challenges
and resolution.

5.  Analyzing the characters' personalities,
behaviour and relationships can point to
significant meaning in a narrative. You might
look closely the characters' actions, their
appearance and mannerisms and what other
characters think of them to determine their
important qualities and traits. You can also
consider which characters change the most as a
result of the events, or don't change at all.
Narration is another important element of
character analysis. Examine whether a character
uses first person point of view to directly tell the
story, or a more objective third person narrator
from outside the story.

6.  Analyzing a narrative means looking at the
authors' language choices as well as global
elements like character and plot. Figurative
language, the use of non-literal comparisons to
describe things or evoke sensory detail, creates
images of characters and settings and evokes an
emotional attitude, or tone. In the narrative,
analyze the author's use of techniques such as
similes, comparisons that use the words "like" or
"as," and metaphors, which make direct
comparisons without these words. You can also
look closer at images the author describes and
consider whether they carry symbolic meaning to
the story as a whole.

7.  Setting in narratives includes both the
physical location of the story, and other
elements such as the time period, weather or
season when the action occurs. Analyze the
time and place of the narrative and consider
how the choice of era or location can help
you understand the characters and their
experiences, as well as how the choice of
place helps to reinforce the story's meaning.
Since settings often serve a symbolic
function in narratives, you can also consider
whether the location could represent a
larger idea or theme within the narrative.

8.  Ultimately, all narrative elements work
together to create the story's theme, the
main idea that lies behind the text. You can
analyze the primary characters, setting,
images and plot points to determine what
ideas it seems to illustrate. For example, you
might consider whether the protagonist gets
what he wants or fails at his quest and what
implications this choice carries for meaning.
You can also search the text for any
repeating symbols or images that could point
to this main idea or explore the prevailing
tone that characterizes the piece.