TEE

N INC.

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WAY

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TORY IS

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UCTURED

THE WAY A STORY IS STRUCTURED – NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

A story (narrative) usually develops through five parts (structure):

1. ORIENTATION – the main characters and the situation are introduced – we see how they relate to each other, what their goals/motivations are – at this stage we probably have lots of questions, so we need to keep reading.

2. RISING ACTION – this is when the conflict is first introduced – there is some type of struggle or problem that needs to be resolved – we need to understand what this conflict is …. Through this part of the narrative there will be events that involve and reveal more about the main characters and there will be some changes that will help them later.

3. CLIMAX – this is the TURNING POINT in the narrative when the main character/s make the single big decision that defines the outcome of their story and who they are as people.

4. FALLING ACTION – this is when the ‘loose ends’ are tied up – all the elements of the narrative come together and yet, most things go wrong for the main character and it seems that the villain has the upper hand.

5. RESOLUTION - this is the final phase of the narrative – when the final confrontation between the protagonist (Jaiden) and the antagonist (Bungrin/NECorp) is played out and questions/issues are answered.

MAPPING THE NARRATIVE…

As you read ‘Teen Inc’, or any other narrative, you will be able to identify its structure.

Some narratives will …

others may ….

CHAPTER BY CHAPTER…Within each chapter, or across a few chapters, we can also see many of the features of narrative structure:

ORIENTATION

RISING ACTION

CLIMAX

FALLING ACTION

RESOLUTION

ACTIVITY – Let’s look at the rising tension in Chapter 4.

YOUR TURN…

Re-read Chapter 5

Using the worksheet, describe 3-4 events in the chapter that lead to the chapter’s climax.

Describe the climax at “the top of the mountain.”

Think about how this climax contributes to the rising tension in the narrative.

TIME TO WRITE …Your task is to write a paragraph describing what happened in Chapter 5

To do this, you need to use P.E.E.L.:

Point – make your main point in the first sentence.

This is the topic sentence.

Expand and elaborate – explain what you mean in more detail.

Evidence and examples – support your statement with facts, evidence and examples.

Link your point back to the topic statement.

AN P.E.E.L. EXAMPLE:Point – underlined;

Expand – in italics;

Example/Evidence- in bold;

Link to the thesis – final sentence.

Most TV shows watched by young people have little benefit or educational value. Popular TV shows are light entertainment and they do not develop any literacy skills or knowledge about the world that might be helpful for a young person’s future. The most popular TV shows for teenagers are reality shows like The Biggest Loser and Big Brother, or sit-coms like Two and a Half Men. As a result, these TV shows are not as beneficial or valuable as reading books.