Modes of Discourse

Introduction & Narration

Modes of Discourse

• Mode = method (HOW)

• Discourse = communication / discussion

• In terms of written communication, we classify 9 main modes of discourse– Narration, Illustration, Description, Process

Analysis, Definition, Division and Classification, Comparison and Contrast, Cause and Effect and Argument.

NarrationTo narrate is to tell a story or to recount a series of

events. Whenever you relate an incident or use an anecdote (a very brief story) to make a point, you use narration.

In its broadest sense, narration is any account of any event or series of events.

We all love to hear stories; some people believe that sharing stories is a part of what defines us as human beings. Good stories are interesting, sometimes suspenseful, and always instructive because they give us insights into the human condition.

Although most often associated with fiction, narration is effective and useful in all kinds of writing.

NarrationGood narration has five essential features:1. a clear context 2. some well-chosen and thoughtfully

emphasized details 3. a logical, sometimes chronological

organization 4. an appropriate and consistent point of view5. a meaningful point or purpose

Consider, for example, the following narrative, titled “Is Your Jar Full?”

Narration Example #1One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of

business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz,” and he pulled out a one-gallon mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes.”The time management expert replied, “Really?” He reached under the table

and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him.

“Probably not,” one of them answered.“Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of

sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

Narration Example #1 ContinuedOnce more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”“No!” the class shouted.Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and

began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all. What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life—time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you’ll never get them in at all.”

So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the “big rocks” in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

Narration ContinuedThis story contains all the elements of good narration.

The writer begins by establishing a clear context for her narrative by telling when, where, and to whom the action happened. She has chosen details well, including enough details so that we know what is happening but not so many that we become overwhelmed, confused, or bored. The writer organizes her narration logically with a beginning that sets the scene, a middle that relates the exchange between the time-management expert and the students, and an end that makes her point, all arranged chronologically. She tells the story from the third-person point of view. Finally, she reveals the point of her narration: people need to think about what’s important in their lives and put these activities first.

Narration – Non-Chronological

• Non-Chronological Narration is where the writer does not simply tell the events in the order that they happened.

• Writers use non-chronological narration to provide clues – or foreshadow – what will happen in the story.

• Assignment – Read “The Scarlet Ibis” and focus on how the writer uses non-chronological narration.

Narration

Day Two

• Last class, we discussed the concept of non-chronological narration. The story that we read was written with “non-chronological narration” – the writer did not simply tell the events in the order that they happened.

• We begin by hearing from the narrator as a grown man, remembering his childhood. The story then flashes back to when he was 6 years old and his brother was born. This opening section is necessary for setting the tone of the story. It gives us many clues that something sad will happen as we are given the impression that Doodle is no longer alive.

• This non-chronological narration allows the writer to set up the tone of grief and sadness before we even begin to read the story of Doodle.

Your TurnBe sure to give some thought to the

organization of your narrative. Chronological organization is natural in narration because it is a reconstruction of the original order of events, but it is not always the most interesting.

To add interest to your storytelling, use non-chronological narration. Begin your narration at the end of the story with an important or exciting event, and then use flashback to fill in what happened earlier.

Classroom Activity ~ Using Narration

Assignment:Choose a significant event from your life – one that you attach some emotion to…happy, sad, scared, angry, etc. It could be a wedding, a birth, a vacation, a competition, a tournament, Christmas (a specific one), starting a new school, moving, etc.

• Think about the usual demands of narration but especially the requirements that your narration have some meaningful point or purpose and a non-chronological organization.

When you have chosen your event, break it down into four chronological steps. For example:

            Soccer Game

1 – We changed in the locker room

2 – We walked onto the field

3 – I scored a goal

4 – Final whistle blew. We won the game.

You will now write a 4 paragraph narrative of your event. Each of your steps will be included. Your paragraphs will go in this order: 4,1,2,3. If I was writing up the event above I would BEGIN with a paragraph that described the final whistle blowing, how excited I was and how my team-mates reacted, etc. In my 2nd, 3rd and 4th paragraphs I would then go back and describe the details that led up to that moment.

Please  write detailed paragraphs, remembering all we have learned recently about parallel structure, active voice,

modifiers, and using the 5 senses in your writing.

Narration Example #2One afternoon in late August, as the summer’s sun streamed into the

[railroad] car and made little jumping shadows on the windows, I sat gazing out at the tenement dwellers, who were themselves looking out of their windows from the gray crumbling buildings along the tracks of upper Manhattan. As we crossed into the Bronx, the train unexpectedly slowed down for a few miles. Suddenly from out of my window I saw a large crowd near the tracks, held back by two policemen. Then, on the other side from my window, I saw a sight I would never be able to forget: a little boy almost severed in halves, lying at an incredible angle near the track. The ground was covered with blood, and the boy’s eyes were opened wide, strained and disbelieving in his sudden oblivion. A policeman stood next to him, his arms folded, staring straight ahead at the windows of our train. In the orange glow of late afternoon the policemen, the crowd, the corpse of the boy were for a brief moment immobile, motionless, a small tableau to violence and death in the city. Behind me, in the next row of seats, there was a game of bridge. I heard one of the four men say as he looked out at the sight, “God, that’s horrible.” Another said, in a whisper, “Terrible, terrible.” There was a momentary silence, punctuated only by the clicking of the wheels on the track. Then, after the pause, I heard the first man say: “Two hearts.”

Narration Model Essay• Read the model essay entitled, “White Lies” and take

notice of the use of an interesting technique called ‘perhapsing’:

This essay uses what the writer Lisa Knopp calls “perhapsing.” Sometimes when we’re writing, we

can’t recall the exact details of our experiences. In this case, we can “perhaps” or speculate about what actually

happened. In the final paragraph of “White Lies,” I speculate about whether I saw or dreamt about

Connie and her mother in the convenience store. The result of this rhetorical strategy is two-fold: it establishes me as a reliable narrator and allows me to question my own motives in “remembering” the past.

• In your notes, answer the following question: How well does this strategy (perhapsing) work for Murphy in her final paragraph? Explain.

Your Turn• Ask yourself why you are telling your story • Your purpose will influence which events and

details you include and which you leave out • Include enough details about the action and its

context so that your readers can understand what’s going on

• Don’t get so carried away with details that your readers become confused or bored by an excess of information. In good storytelling, deciding what to leave out is as important as deciding what to include.