Narrative Conventions and Why are They Important

“I will tell you a secret. Old storytellers never die. They disappear into their own story.” – Vera Nazarian, author

Storytelling is an art which allows us to efficiently deliver the thoughts and ideas inside us. All of us have something to tell, however, only a few people have the ability to weave their thoughts into words. Writing holds great significance in the lives of students. Hence, if you are a student, you must excel in this art. For that matter, you must know about narrative conventions. These are common techniques, elements, or devices used in stories or narratives to make them appealing to a larger audience. Additionally, there are various narrative techniques with which different writers can fulfil their writing requirements.

Let’s read this blog curated by the writers at All Assignment Help to understand more about narrative conventions, their significance in any writing, and how to use them.

Narrative Conventions: Definition

In English literature, we use narrative conventions so that we can bring a contextual flow while describing an event in the writing. Moreover, narrative conventions are primarily used in dramas, stories, novels, narratives, poetries, etc. Furthermore, we can classify these conventions as primary and secondary narratives. We can see an inclusive effect of primary narrative conventions on the whole literature. However, secondary narrative conventions only influence some hand-picked sections of the literature. It depends completely on the writing skills of the author that he knows where to use what narrative conventions.

In addition to this, as a student, you must master all the narrative conventions so that you can compose assignments or any academic write-up in a profound manner. However, if you do not know the proper usage of narrative conventions yet then you can seek assistance from an online coursework service. They will help you in creating an effective assignment or write-up with which you can attain good grades. In the meantime, you can read our blog to learn about the usage of narrative conventions.

What are Some Narrative Conventions?

As we have studied above, we can broadly divide narrative conventions into primary and secondary narratives. Moreover, the scope of the impact on writing determines the type. However, if you want to make a narration effective, you must know how to use both of them. When you will understand them all, you will be easily able to decide how and where to use them. So, in this section, let us read different kinds of narrative elements in a detailed manner.

Primary narrative conventions

• Theme
• Setting
• Characters
• Plot development
• Conflict
• Point of view
• Descriptive language

Secondary narrative conventions

• Mood
• Tone
• Voice
• Character development

Mentioned above is a list of primary and secondary narrative conventions. Let’s explore them one by one.

Also read: How to Ace an Effective Virtual Classroom Training Session?

Primary Narrative Conventions and Their Usage

Theme

You might know what a theme is, the central topic of the narrative. Usually, we can summarize a theme in a phrase or a word. For example, environment conservation, unity, war, the age of youth, etc. Moreover, the theme also sets the style and tone for the narrative.

In addition to this, if your narrative has more than one theme, yes, it is possible. So, in the case of two themes, you can divide them into major and minor themes. Here, you will repeat the major theme throughout the story and cover a minor theme in a specific section. For example, in a narrative where the major theme is LOVE, minor themes can be marriage, fidelity, or flirtation. Furthermore, the readers can identify themes using two tools symbols and motifs.

• Symbol

Symbol in narrative is anything that represents tha theme in an indirect manner. It can be any person, place, or object. However, readers need to work a little to understand the meaning behind the symbol and this is what makes their reading experience fascinating.

• Motifs

Motifs repeat themselves in the story several times to provide some contextual reference to the readers.

Setting

One of the most significant narrative conventions is the setting or we can say the backbone of any narrative or story. With the help of a solid setting, you can easily ignite the imagination of the readers. Moreover, the setting is of two types:

• Destination setting

As the name suggests, it is the place for story development. You must have read novels where the writer uses popular cities like Rome, New York, Boston, London, Berlin, etc. It helps in creating an aura and readers can imagine the board and beautiful cities. Moreover, in some novels, you might find cities playing some kind of role.

• Period setting

“Once upon a time”, is a popular phrase to depict time in the story. Writers use the period setting element in their story to give context to time and environment. For example, when reading a story set in the 18^th century, you will automatically think of things, clothes, animals, trends, etc. used in that period. It is a great way of story development with characters, plot, and mood.

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Characters

There will be no story without a character. Hence, it is a highly significant narrative convention. Moreover, the entire story revolves around the actions, emotions, and reactions of the characters. They are characterized into:

• The protagonist

The protagonist is the hero of the story and the central character around whom the whole story revolves. Moreover, protagonists make various decisions throughout the plot and later face the consequences of those decisions. One can relate himself/herself to the protagonist in many situations.

• Antagonist

An antagonist is a villain in the story or a negative character. He/she always opposes the protagonist. They are always engaged in bringing evil and the element of conflict into the plot.

Plot development

How your story moves is what is called plot development. In order to make a story successful, a good plot development is needed. To all of those who are non-writers, we have something for you. If the plot looks like a mystery to you, here are some stages in which we can classify it.

• Exposition

Or the introduction stage where as a reader you get to know about the setting, theme, and characters of the story. It is the stage where writers give their best to set the context, and tone, establish a setting, etc. Moreover, if the exposition fails to be interesting, hardly a few people would read the entire narrative.

• Complication

This is where the interesting twists and turns are hidden for the readers. Moreover, at this stage, writers will introduce some complications, for instance, tension between characters. Furthermore, the readers would start taking interest and collecting hints on where the story will go from here.

• Climax

The third stage is where writers solve the second stage. After a lot of twists and tensions, finally, the writer will finally reveal the conflict at this stage.

• Falling tension

At this stage, you will see the tension is decreasing and a scope for a conclusion is developing.

• Denouncement

This is the last stage also called the conclusion of the narrative. In this part of the story, everything gets summed up. All questions in the story are answered in this stage, and it takes the reader to a satisfactory ending. Sometimes the author does not resolve the issues as he wants the reader to think over them even after completing the narrative.

Conflict

You will find this narrative convention in almost every story. Moreover, it is an interesting event where the author writes some problems for the main characters. As a result, the story will revolve around the reaction of characters to the conflict and how they will deal with it. No turning events of conflicts in the story might make the author disinterested in reading. Furthermore, you will mainly find the protagonist facing the conflict in forms like:

• Man, against man conflict

In this type of conflict, two characters in the story will have a feeling of hatred for each other. This type of conflict can be direct or subtle in nature. Direct conflict can be portrayed through fights and duels, whereas indirect conflict is described through characters’ intentions for other characters.

• Man, against society

This type of conflict arises in the text when the protagonist stands against the person who made wrong practices. For example, the fight against slavery, white dominance over blacks and many more. In literary texts, one can find various examples of man-against-society conflicts. These conflicts occur when characters are forced to adhere to moral choices or are not happy with societal norms.

• Man, against nature

Such conflict occurs when a man is not able to achieve his/her wishes due to natural obstructions. For example, Odysseus’ journey from Troy to Ithaca was obstructed by natural forces.

• Man, against himself

This conflict comes in the category of internal conflict. Here, a character has to fight with his own weaknesses or has to choose between good or bad. Such conflicts create a more dramatic plot in the story along with the action.

One can find the themes of the novel easily by understanding the types of conflicts. In addition to this, if you are not able to understand the narrative conventions clearly for any reason, then let the experts help you. Hire an expert for your concerns like who will take my class for literature or who will help me understand the crucial concepts of literature like narrative conventions. Furthermore, with the help of expert assistance, you will master the art of storytelling and learn the tools of narration better.

Point of view

Anyone who is writing uses various points of view to write. Moreover, for effective communication, you can switch between different points of view throughout your writing. If anybody has told you that you can only use a single point of view while narration, they have taught you the wrong thing. Now, here are three major points of view:

• First-person

Narrating the story through the point of view of the main character so that as a reader you can experience everything the character is witnessing.

• Second person

Narrating the story as addressing the reader using the word ‘you’.

• Third person

Here the narrator is an omniscient personality who is everywhere and knows everything. He has a complete understanding of each character and time, places and events which are happening and going to happen in the future in the story. You can see third-person narration with the use of ‘they,’ ‘he,’ ‘she,’ and them.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, are some examples of omniscient books.

Descriptive language

It is the key to creativity in storytelling and creative writing. The writers use this language to make their writing engaging and create a vivid story in the minds of the reader. Moreover, there are several language techniques in the literature with which writers can do this. Furthermore, they can use imagery, figurative language, and sensory imagery to serve the purpose.

• Imagery

Imagery is the use of vivid or metaphorical language to describe a scene, action or person. The use of imagery is to create an image in the reader’s mind when he/she is reading.

• Sensory imagery

Sensory imagery provokes the senses of a reader, sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch.

• Figurative language

In figurative language, a phrase or sentence has a different meaning from the literal sense. A writer uses such language to show comparison or to put emphasis on something. Figurative language uses poetic devices such as simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. In simile, two things are compared with the use of ‘Like’ or ‘as.’ In Metaphor, two things are compared in a direct way. Personification writer gives a non-human thing a human characteristic. Hyperbole is the over-exaggeration to make a point in the text.

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Secondary Narrative Conventions and Their Usage

Mood

The mood is the atmosphere or the psychological environment in the story that the author creates using descriptive language. Moreover, we can establish the mood in the story with the help of setting, way of attitude, or description. For example, the mood of the story can be scary or mysterious.

Tone

Tone represents the manner in which voice is delivered in a story. Moreover, it defines whether the mood is angry, friendly or persuasive of the characters. The tone of a specific story is also related to how the narrator presented the story. Furthermore, point of view has a lot to do with tone.

If the story is from the third person point of view, then you will find neutral narration. Whereas in first-person narration, you will find what the character is feeling without understanding the perceptions of other characters. Therefore, one can understand how much the tone has a role in any form of literary text.

Voice

Just like the voice of the author, a literary text also contains various voices. These voices are the positions, ideas, perspectives, and views of all or individual characters. Understanding and recognizing various voices in a story is very important. This will certainly help the reader to understand the mindset of the writer. This will shape the reader’s response to the text. Voices of characters promote different values, attitudes, and perspectives.

Character development

As plot development, character development plays a significant role in making any narration or story interesting. Moreover, by character development, we mean the growth of dimensions of the character, their personality, and depth in the story. Furthermore, the individual motivations of the characters are what drive the entire storyline.

Hence, these were the types of narrative conventions used in the literature. We hope you have conceptually understood it. However, you will need a lot of practice to master its usage in the narration. But can your assignment wait that long? Isn’t your deadline approaching? Aren’t you thinking, is it possible to pay someone to do assignment? If yes, then what are you waiting for? Seek assistance from the experts available to help you online. You are just a click away from finding a well-versed professional to assist you with any kind of narrative conventions to write a flawless paper.

10 Reasons Why Narrative Conventions are Needed in Literature

We need narrative conventions in storytelling for the following reasons.

• We can use narrative conventions to properly organize and structure our writing.
• In order to captivate and engage the readers, we need to use narrative conventions.
• It helps authors provoke thoughts among the readers and establish predictions.
• For plot and character development, authors use narrative conventions as the framework.
• It helps in the effective delivery of themes and messages.
• With the help of these tools, authors can bring a sense of comfort and familiarity to the narration for the readers.
• Narrative conventions are a common language for understanding and communication between the readers and the authors.
• It is only possible with these tools that authors can play with innovation and compose enthralling narratives.
• Narrative conventions allow us to explore complex ideas and sentiments in an organized and understandable manner.
• With the help of narrative conventions, we can inherit the art of storytelling and preserve our cultural heritage.

However, if you are still doubtful about using narrative conventions in your writing correctly, you can ask an online essay helper for assistance. They would not only help you with an error-free narration but also assist you in understanding the right usage of the narrative tools.

Conclusion

We hope this blog helped you in understanding narrative conventions and their significance in literature. Moreover, with the right knowledge of these tools you can write any story in a compelling way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: 1 Why setting is a significant narrative convention? Answer: 1 Settings are of vital importance and have a crucial influence over the story, characters, themes and overall narrative of the story. The setting affects all other narrative conventions of a specific story. Settings are like the backbone of a story; they hold all the elements together and portray them in a manner which could be overwhelming for the readers. The setting of a story binds the reader with the story.

Question: 2 What is characterization in narration? Answer: 2 Characterization is a way through which the writer creates a bond between the reader and the characters. The two types of characterization are direct and indirect characterization.