NARRATIVE GENRE: CHARACTERISTICS, SUBGENRES, ELEMENTS - LITERATURE - 2025

The narrative genre includes all those works that tell or tell a story, situation, events, among others. The purpose of this literary genre is to entertain or make an audience think about a problem. It also serves to teach a lesson or to move the emotions of the readers.

This genre differs from both the dramatic and lyrical genres. In the narrative, the author speaks of an outside world, with characters located in a specific time and space.

This distinguishes it from the lyric, in which the author talks about himself, his experiences and feelings. Unlike the dramatic genre, it is not meant to be acted out.

So the narrative genre is very old. The earliest stories, as the records show, were written in verse. Examples of this are the Greek and medieval epics. These stories come from oral tradition. The versification was a way to facilitate its memorization.

Various types of texts follow the format of the narrative genre. Of these can be mentioned the legend, the epic, the tale, the chronicle and the novel. The latter is the one with a more complex structure.

origins

In general, storytelling is an essential part of human nature. The narrative genre began with the oral tradition. The first representatives of this genre include myths, legends, fables, anecdotes and ballads.

These were counted over and over again, managing to be passed down from generation to generation. Through them knowledge and wisdom were shared.

After the invention of writing, there was a shift from oral to written narration. However, this change did not happen immediately, as only educated people could read and write. During the transition, both formats coexisted.

On the other hand, the oldest text of the narrative genre that is preserved in history is the Epic of Gilgamesh. This story is related to the exploits of a famous Sumerian king. Furthermore, the first known record of the origin of the narrative is found in Egypt, when the sons of Cheops entertained their father with stories.

In ancient Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, the first inscriptions date from 770 to 750 BC. Experts suggest that Homer's Iliad is the oldest surviving work in the Greek language and that it originated from oral tradition.

In 1440, Gutenberg's invention of the printing press gave the masses access to the Bible. Biblical narratives have the main purpose of teaching spirituality.

Currently, the narrative genre is fundamental within literary expressions.

Main characteristics of the narrative genre

Narrative point of view

The narrative point of view refers to the perspective from which the narrator conveys the story to the reader. The narrator speaks with a particular voice. That voice speaks to the reader and tells the story.

In this sense, the first and third person are the most common. When using the first person, the narrator is an important participant in the story and speaks using the pronouns I or we.

The narrator can be a witness or a protagonist. In third person, the narrator works like a camera, reporting only things the camera can see and hear.

Also, there is the omniscient narrator. In this case, the narrator knows everything and can comment on the thoughts and feelings of any of the characters. Also, you can comment on any of the events in the story and make judgments about them.

Conflict as a catalyst

In the narrative genre the conflict is essential, since it is the reason why the action takes place. This one focuses on a problem that the main characters have to solve.

In the literature there are several types of conflicts. Some of these types are: man vs. fate, man vs. man, man vs. society and man vs. nature.

Descriptive language

Descriptive language is necessary to bring the story to life. The narrator must relate every detail and event. The vivid and creative details help make a chain of events an engaging narrative.

The narrator acts as the eyes and ears of the reader. On the other hand, the narrator's perspective and tone determine the descriptive language used.

Multiplicity of speeches

The narrative genre is admitted not only in literature, but in other forms of expression that have been able to adopt the chronological story as the basis for its manifestation or presentation.

The narrative can be found in cinematographic, poetic, journalistic, historical discourses, etc. The case of historiography has been striking, since it adopted the narrative genre as the main form of expression in specialized works.

In this way, the consumption and understanding of historiographic texts can be facilitated, providing a dynamic and even playful look.

The opposite case may be that of anthropology, where the subjectivity of the writer (and narrator in his own work), can interfere with the intention of exposing without manipulation the customs or ways of being of a millenary civilization, for example.

Main categories

Prose fiction is the most popular category and is exploited by narrative, mainly from the novel and the short story.

However, and in order to entertain the consumption of other high value content, the fictionalization of historical or fantastic events began to see place through genres such as myth, legend and fable.

Non-fiction, which consists of the story of real events, manifests itself mainly through journalism, biographies and historiography.

Millennial origin

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the first narrative texts discovered and preserved to this day. It is a tale in verses, which tells the story of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, located approximately in the years 2000 BC and considered a key document in the religion of Ancient Mesopotamia.

This series of verses was later compiled into a single, unified and coherent version that expanded the potential of epic and historiographical storytelling.

Expressions of this type marked what would be the evolution of the many narrative discourses that would find place to this day.

Just as the Gilgamesh is an example of narrative verse, the Icelandic sagas could be an example of narrative prose today, used in some branches of journalism, such as chronicles or interpretive reporting.

Subjectivity of the narrator

The narrator is the main figure of the narrative, and can have multiple forms and variations, today much more subject to the style of the artist or the practitioner of a trade who accepts it.

The types of narrators have been divided into intradiegetic or extradigitic, depending on their position in the story and the type of person in which they are expressed (first or third person, for example, in the case of literature).

• Intradiegetic narrator: it is divided into homodiegetic, characterized mainly by the participation of the narrator as a character in the story, whose narrative capacities are limited to the encounters and actions carried out during the story; and heterodiegetic, in which the narrator may have knowledge of actions in which he does not participate.
• Extradiegetic narrator: the most prominent is the well-known omniscient narrator, who does not necessarily have to have a form in the story, or even refer to himself, but has the maximum knowledge about the universe of the story.
• Multiple narrator: a new style of narration, in which it is marked by the participation of multiple characters who also serve as narrators, and each one gives the narrative a perspective dictated by their individual qualities and characteristics. There does not need to be a consensus or central point between the different versions of the narrative within the story.

Emotional capacity

As a genre present in different forms of artistic expression, the narrative in literature, poetry, cinema, etc. it has been the most complete technique for expression and the ability to generate empathy in a reader or viewer.

Therefore, through linguistic constructions adapted to the support, it seeks to generate emotions in the audience, in a way that no other type of prose could achieve on its own.

Application in other arts

The narrative genre can be applied in other arts, such as music or photography, which have begun to adapt narrative qualities to their own supports.

They have been expanding horizons and breaking paradigms, allowing to affirm that any expression or manifestation organized in a coherent way can have the capacity to tell a story.

Psychological aspects

Modern man has been used to the constant flow of stories from almost anywhere in today's society.

This has allowed human life itself to be viewed from each individual as an unfinished story, in which the person takes the reins of narrator and protagonist, being able to assign their experiences to the way they perceive the rest of the world.

The psychological aspects of the narrative meta, as an intangible element, create stronger links when it comes to the consumption of narrative texts or products.

In them, man is capable, not only of finding himself in other characters or contexts, but also of discovering or rediscovering himself.

Subgenres

Basically, there are four basic patterns within the narrative genre. These can overlap, alternate, or combine. They will be briefly described below.

Tragedy

These types of stories begin with a problem that is significant to society, its leaders or its representatives. The problem can arise from a temptation or error that human beings recognize within themselves.

The tragedy ends with the resolution of the problem and the restoration of justice. This is often accompanied by the death or banishment of the tragic hero.

Comedy

The comedy begins with a minor problem or mistake. Usually the problem is simply "a misunderstanding" rather than a tragic mistake.

The final action of a comedy is easily recognized: the characters come together in marriage, song, dance, or a party. This shows a restoration of unity.

Romance

Romance is the most popular narrative subgenre. It is about stories of heroes, crisis, revenge, love and other passions. They conclude with triumph.

Satire

Satire generally includes elements from other genres, such as comedy, humor, wit, and fantasy. Its purpose is to expose and criticize the vices of people or society in general.

Elements

Plot

One of the main elements in the narrative genre is the plot. It is the sequence of actions that are causally related before reaching some kind of resolution. Generally, a story has a main plot and a variety of interlocking subplots.

Development context of the story

Another element is the spatial-temporal context in which the story takes place. Often this context affects and reflects the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This contributes significantly to the understanding of a narrative.

Characters

Likewise, the development of a story requires characters. These are usually people, but they can also be animals. Some characters are very simple. Others have considerable psychological depth.

Topics

Finally, an important aspect of the narrative genre is the topic or topics covered. There may be common themes like love and death, or more particular ones like revenge or forgiveness.

References

1. Coats, GW (1983). Genesis, with an Introduction to Narrative Literature. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
2. Gallie, WB (2001). Narrative and Historical Understanding. In G. Roberts, The History and Narrative Reader (pp. 40-51). Psychology Press.
3. Hatch, JA, & Wisniewski, R. (2002). Life History and Narrative. Routlege.
4. Hunter, KM (1996). Narrative, Literature, and the Clinical Exercise of Practical Reason. 303-320.
5. Keen, S. (nd). A Theory of Narrative Empathy.
6. Lacey, N. (nd). Narrative and Genre. Palgrave.