Linguistics
C5
A SOCIOLINGUISTIC MODEL OF NARRATIVE
This unit makes some practical suggestions for exploring further the structure of narrative. It draws upon one particular model of narrative: the framework of natural narrative developed by the sociolinguist William Labov. Labov’s concept of narrative structure, which has already featured in this strand (A5), has proved a productive model of analysis in stylistics. After a brief sketch of the model, some narrative texts will be introduced and some practical activities developed around them.
Labov’s narrative model
The enduring appeal of Labov’s model of natural narrative is largely because its origins are situated in the everyday discourse practices of real speakers in real social contexts. Working from a corpus of hundreds of stories told in the course of casual conversation by informants from many different backgrounds, Labov isolates the core, recurrent features that underpin a fully formed natural narrative.
Six key categories are rendered down from this body of data (Labov 1972:359–60). Each of these categories serves to address a hypothetical question about narrative structure (‘What is this story about?’, ‘Where did it take place?’ and so on) so each category fulfils a different function in a story.
Table C5.1 lists the six categories, the hypothetical questions they address and their respective narrative functions. The table also provides information on the sort of linguistic forms that each component typically takes. With the exception of Evaluation, the categories listed on the Table are arranged Table C5.1 Labov’s model of natural narrative
Narrative category Narrative question Narrative function Linguistic form
ABSTRACT
What was this about? Signals that the story is A short summarising about to begin and statement, provided before draws attention from the narrative commences. the listener.
ORIENTATION
Who or what are involved in the story, and when and where
A SOCIOLINGUISTIC MODEL OF NARRATIVE
This unit makes some practical suggestions for exploring further the structure of narrative. It draws upon one particular model of narrative: the framework of natural narrative developed by the sociolinguist William Labov. Labov’s concept of narrative structure, which has already featured in this strand (A5), has proved a productive model of analysis in stylistics. After a brief sketch of the model, some narrative texts will be introduced and some practical activities developed around them.
Labov’s narrative model
The enduring appeal of Labov’s model of natural narrative is largely because its origins are situated in the everyday discourse practices of real speakers in real social contexts. Working from a corpus of hundreds of stories told in the course of casual conversation by informants from many different backgrounds, Labov isolates the core, recurrent features that underpin a fully formed natural narrative.
Six key categories are rendered down from this body of data (Labov 1972:359–60). Each of these categories serves to address a hypothetical question about narrative structure (‘What is this story about?’, ‘Where did it take place?’ and so on) so each category fulfils a different function in a story.
Table C5.1 lists the six categories, the hypothetical questions they address and their respective narrative functions. The table also provides information on the sort of linguistic forms that each component typically takes. With the exception of Evaluation, the categories listed on the Table are arranged Table C5.1 Labov’s model of natural narrative
Narrative category Narrative question Narrative function Linguistic form
ABSTRACT
What was this about? Signals that the story is A short summarising about to begin and statement, provided before draws attention from the narrative commences. the listener.
ORIENTATION
Who or what are involved in the story, and when and where