Narrative Item

A Narrative Item is a structured sequence of events that conveys a perspective.

• AKA: Story, Narrative Sequence, Narrative Structure.
• Context:
  • It can typically be created by a Story Creation Task (such as storytelling).
  • It can typically involve constructing and visualizing a sequence of events, ideas, or scenarios.
  • It can typically convey Cultural Values through symbolic representation and thematic communication.
  • It can typically transmit Knowledge through experiential framing and memorable sequences.
  • It can typically reflect Worldviews through perspective embedding and value propositions.
  • ...
  • It can often refer to a Narrative Element ...
  • It can often evoke Emotional Responses through character identification and dramatic tension.
  • It can often evoke Intellectual Responses through thematic exploration and conceptual challenge.
  • It can often have a Narrative Beginning, a Narrative Middle, and a Narrative End.
  • It can often establish Causal Relationships through event connections and consequence establishment.
  • It can often create Narrative Coherence through logical progression and thematic unity.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Short Narrative to being a Long Narrative, depending on its content scope.
  • It can range from being a Mental Narrative to being an Uttered Narrative, depending on its expression mode.
  • It can range from being an Undocumented Narrative to being a Documented Narrative in media such as: slideshow narratives, book narratives, film narratives, digital narratives, interactive narratives.
  • It can range from being a Linguistic Narrative (oral narrative, written narrative) to being a Visual Narrative, depending on its communication medium.
  • It can range from being a Fictional Narrative to being a Non-Fictional Narrative, depending on its factual basis.
  • It can range from being a Simple Narrative to being a Complex Narrative, depending on its structural complexity.
  • It can range from being a Linear Narrative to being a Nonlinear Narrative, depending on its chronological arrangement.
  • It can range from being a Monologic Narrative to being a Dialogic Narrative, depending on its voice structure.
  • It can range from being a Concrete Narrative to being an Abstract Narrative, depending on its representation level.
  • ...
  • It can be associated with a Narrative Genre, such as Fantasy, Mystery, or Historical Fiction.
  • It can be used for a Narrative Purpose, such as: entertainment purpose, knowledge sharing purpose, education purpose, persuasion purpose, or cultural preservation purpose.
  • It can have Narrative Elements through character development, plot construction, and setting establishment.
  • It can provide Narrative Agency through character choice and audience participation.
  • It can create Narrative Worlds through setting elaboration and consistent rules.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • by Narrative Works (that are intentionally crafted for artistic or communicative purposes), such as:
    • Literature Narratives, such as:
      • Novels, such as:
        • Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace", which is a historical epic that interweaves the lives of multiple aristocrats and commoners against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, exploring themes of war, peace, love, and society in 19th century Russia.
        • George Orwell's "1984", which is a dystopian narrative that presents a totalitarian society through the experiences of Winston Smith, serving as both political critique and warning narrative about social control.
      • Short Narratives, such as:
        • Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery", which is a dark allegory set in a small American town, where a seemingly ordinary village tradition culminates in a shocking and brutal act of violence, revealing the hidden cruelty and conformity in human society.
      • Biographys, such as:
        • Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, which is a detailed biography chronicling the life of Nelson Mandela, from his early childhood and activism against apartheid in South Africa to his 27 years in prison and eventual election as the first black President of South Africa.
        • The Diary of Anne Frank, which is a firsthand account of a young Jewish girl's experiences hiding from the Nazis during World War II in occupied Netherlands, providing an intimate glimpse into the horrors of the Holocaust and the resilience of the human spirit.
      • ...
    • Visual Entertainment Narratives, such as:
      • Comic Strips, such as:
        • Gary Larson's "The Far Side", which are single-panel comics that feature bizarre and witty captions, often involving talking animals or eccentric people, offering a satirical take on everyday events and human behavior.
      • Stand-Up Comedys, such as:
        • George Carlin's Routines, which are live comedy acts that blend biting observations on politics, religion, and social norms, delivered with ironic humor and a cynical edge.
      • Sitcoms, such as:
        • Friends Episodes, which are episodic stories centered around a close-knit group of friends living in Manhattan, where humorous situations often arise from their interpersonal relationships.
      • ...
    • Film Narratives, such as:
      • Historical Dramas, such as:
        • Schindler's List, which is a historical motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg, telling the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who saved over a thousand Jewish lives during the Holocaust.
      • Documentarys, such as:
        • Video Days (1991), which is a skateboarding short subculture avant-garde documentary video directed by Spike Jonze, capturing youth culture in early 1990s Los Angeles.
      • ...
    • Musical Narratives, such as:
      • Story Songs, such as:
        • Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", which is a balladic narrative recounting the tragic sinking of the Great Lakes freighter, poignantly depicting the fate of the crew.
      • Concept Albums, such as:
        • Pink Floyd's "The Wall", which is a rock opera following the psychological journey of a fictional troubled protagonist through childhood to breakdown and redemption.
      • Musical Theaters, such as:
        • Hamilton, which is a historical theatrical retelling of founding father Alexander Hamilton's life through contemporary hip-hop and musical techniques.
      • ...
    • Game Narratives, such as:
      • Role-Playing Games, such as:
        • "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim", which is an open-world role-playing game that allows players to explore a vast fantasy world with multiple interwoven storylines.
      • Interactive Storys, such as:
        • "The Walking Dead" video game series, which is a choice-based interactive adventure, where players' decisions directly influence the development and outcome.
      • ...
  • by Social Narratives (that emerge from and shape collective understanding), such as:
    • Power Narratives, such as:
      • State Narratives, such as:
        • National Identity Narratives, such as:
          • American Dream Narrative like Horatio Alger Stories, which are success narratives that promote the idea of social mobility through hard work and moral virtue, shaping American cultural values and social aspirations.
          • Manifest Destiny Narrative like John L. O'Sullivan's "Great Nation of Futurity" (1839), which is a territorial expansion narrative that justified American westward expansion through claims of divine providence and civilizing missions.
      • Political Legitimacy Narratives, such as:
        • Democratic Values Narrative like FDR's "Four Freedoms" Speech, which is a governance narrative that articulated fundamental rights to justify American involvement in World War II.
        • National Security Narrative like Cold War Containment, which is a policy narrative that shaped American foreign policy through threat perception and strategic response.
      • ...
    • Cultural Memory Narratives, such as:
      • War Memory Narratives, such as:
        • World War II Narratives, such as:
          • Greatest Generation Narrative like Tom Brokaw's Book, which is a collective memory shaping how Americans understand the wartime experience and post-war prosperity.
          • Holocaust Memory Narrative like Survivor Testimonies, which form a collective testament to human suffering and resilience.
      • Social Movement Narratives, such as:
        • Civil Rights Narratives, such as:
          • Dream Speech Narrative like Martin Luther King Jr.'s Address, which is a rhetorical narrative articulating racial equality and social justice vision.
          • Rosa Parks Narrative, which is a resistance narrative demonstrating the power of individual action and collective resistance.
      • ...
    • Identity Narratives, such as:
      • Ethnic Identity Narratives, such as:
        • Migration Narratives, such as:
          • Ellis Island Stories, which are immigrant experience narratives shaping American identity and cultural memory.
          • Underground Railroad Narratives, which are resistance stories about escape from slavery and pursuit of freedom.
      • Professional Identity Narratives, such as:
        • Medical Narratives, such as:
          • Hippocratic Tradition, which is a professional ethic narrative about medical duty and patient care.
          • Modern Medicine Narrative, which is a scientific progress story about medical advancement and healing practice.
      • ...
    • Mental Narratives, such as:
      • Personal Mental Narratives, such as:
        • Daydream Narrative where someone imagines achieving a significant life goal, such as owning a home or winning an award.
        • Anticipatory Mental Narrative where someone imagines the sequence leading up to an upcoming event.
      • Group Mental Narratives, such as:
        • Collective Memory Narratives, such as shared remembrance of historical events or cultural traditions.
        • Shared Future Narratives, such as common visions of societal progress or technological advancement.
      • ...
    • Belief System Narratives, such as:
      • Religious Narratives, such as:
        • Creation Narratives, such as:
          • Genesis Story, which is a foundational narrative explaining the origin of existence and human purpose in Abrahamic traditions.
          • Dreamtime Stories, which are Aboriginal Australian creation narratives explaining the formation of landscapes and natural phenomena.
        • Salvation Narratives, such as:
          • Buddhist Enlightenment Story, which is a spiritual journey narrative about Buddha's path from princely life to enlightenment.
          • Christian Redemption Narrative, which is a theological story about human salvation through divine intervention.
      • ...
    • Institutional Narratives, such as:
      • Organizational Storys, such as:
        • Corporate Narratives, such as:
          • Apple Origin Story about Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in a garage, which shapes Silicon Valley entrepreneurial culture.
          • Google's "Don't Be Evil" Narrative, which is a corporate ethics story about tech responsibility and company values.
        • Educational Narratives, such as:
          • Liberal Arts Education Story, which is an educational philosophy about holistic learning and intellectual development.
          • STEM Education Narrative, which is a modern education story about technological progress and economic competitiveness.
      • ...
    • Scientific Narratives, such as:
      • Progress Narratives, such as:
        • Evolutionary Theory Story, which is a scientific narrative about the development of life and natural selection.
        • Big Bang Narrative, which is a cosmological story about the origin of universe and cosmic evolution.
      • Discovery Narratives, such as:
        • DNA Structure Story about Watson and Crick, which is a scientific discovery narrative about breakthrough moments.
        • Quantum Theory Development, which is a physics narrative about paradigm shifts in scientific understanding.
      • ...
    • Economic Narratives, such as:
      • Market Narratives, such as:
        • Free Market Story, which is an economic philosophy narrative about market efficiency and individual freedom.
        • Socialist Narrative, which is an alternative economic story about collective ownership and social justice.
      • Development Narratives, such as:
        • Modernization Story, which is a progress narrative about societal development through industrialization.
        • Sustainable Development Narrative, which is an environmental story about balanced growth and ecological preservation.
      • ...
    • Technology Narratives, such as:
      • Innovation Storys, such as:
        • Digital Revolution Narrative, which is a technological change story about societal transformation through computing advancement.
        • AI Development Story, which is an emerging technology narrative about machine intelligence and human future.
      • Impact Narratives, such as:
        • Social Media Story, which is a connectivity narrative about global communication and social change.
        • Privacy Concern Narrative, which is a digital age story about personal data and surveillance society.
      • ...
    • Environmental Narratives, such as:
      • Climate Change Storys, such as:
        • Global Warming Narrative, which is an environmental crisis story about human impact on planetary systems.
        • Climate Action Story, which is a response narrative about collective effort for environmental protection.
      • Conservation Narratives, such as:
        • Wildlife Protection Story, which is a nature preservation narrative about species survival and biodiversity.
        • Sustainable Living Narrative, which is an ecological lifestyle story about human-nature harmony.
    • ...
  • Emerging Narrative Forms, such as:
    • Transmedia Narratives, such as:
      • The Matrix Universe, which extends across films, animations, video games, and comics to create an integrated story world.
      • Star Wars Expanded Universe, which builds a cohesive narrative across multiple media platforms and storytelling formats.
    • Virtual Reality Narratives, such as:
      • Immersive Documentarys, which place viewers within 3D environments to experience story settings firsthand.
      • VR Adventures, which allow participants to physically navigate through narrative spaces.
    • Algorithmic Narratives, such as:
      • Procedurally Generated Storys, which use AI systems to create dynamic narratives based on rule sets.
      • Interactive Fiction AI, which adapts story elements in response to user input and choice patterns.
    • Social Media Narratives, such as:
      • Twitter Thread Stories, which develop narrative arcs through sequential posts on microblogging platforms.
      • Instagram Stories, which combine images, text, and video clips to create visual narrative sequences.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Written Journals, which typically includes personal reflections without a structured narrative.
  • Forum Pages, which consists of discussions and comments without a unified narrative structure.
  • Expository Writing, which presents facts and information without necessarily forming a narrative structure.
  • Procedural Text, which provides instructions or steps to follow, rather than telling a story.
  • Data Report, which organizes and presents data without the connected sequence of events typical of a narrative.
  • Abstract Paintings, which express through visual elements without sequential structure or temporal progression.
  • Random Word Generator Outputs, which produce text strings without narrative coherence or meaningful connections.
  • Purely Instructional Contents, which focus on directive communication rather than event sequence or perspective sharing.
• See: Essay, Myth, Poem, Non-Fiction Document, Motion Picture, New Journalism, Creative Non-Fiction, Historiography, Anecdotes, Legend, Literature, Prose, Narrative Element, Narrative Structure, Narrative Arc, Narrative Voice, Narrative Authority, Storytelling, Narrative Identity, Narrative Theory, Narrative Ethics.

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References

2020

• (Wikipedia, 2020) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/narrative Retrieved:2020-5-4.
  • A narrative or story is an account of a series of related events, experiences, or the like, whether true (episode, vignette, travelogue, memoir, autobiography, biography) or fictitious (fairy tale, fable, story, epic, legend, novel). The word derives from the Latin verb narrare (to tell), which is derived from the adjective gnarus (knowing or skilled). Along with argumentation, description, and exposition, narration, broadly defined, is one of four rhetorical modes of discourse. More narrowly defined, it is the fiction-writing mode in which the narrator communicates directly to the reader. Oral storytelling is the earliest method for sharing narratives. During most people's childhoods, narratives are used to guide them on proper behavior, cultural history, formation of a communal identity and values, as especially studied in anthropology today among traditional indigenous peoples.

    Narrative is found in all forms of human creativity, art, and entertainment, including speech, literature, theatre, music and song, comics, journalism, film, television and video, video games, radio, game play, unstructured recreation and performance in general, as well as some painting, sculpture, drawing, photography and other visual arts, as long as a sequence of events is presented. Several art movements, such as modern art, refuse the narrative in favor of the abstract and conceptual.

    Narrative can be organized into a number of thematic or formal categories: non-fiction (such as definitively including creative non-fiction, biography, journalism, transcript poetry and historiography); fictionalization of historical events (such as anecdote, myth, legend and historical fiction) and fiction proper (such as literature in prose and sometimes poetry, such as short stories, novels and narrative poems and songs, and imaginary narratives as portrayed in other textual forms, games or live or recorded performances). Narratives may also be nested within other narratives, such as narratives told by an unreliable narrator (a character) typically found in the genre of noir fiction. An important part of narration is the narrative mode, the set of methods used to communicate the narrative through a process narration (see also “Aesthetics approach” below).

2020b

• (Greene, 2020) ⇒ Brian Greene. (2020). “Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in An Evolving Universe.” Knopf. ISBN:9781524731670
  • QUOTE: ... These are all ongoing stories, developed by thinkers hailing from a great range of distinct disciplines. Understandably so. A saga that ranges from quarks to consciousness is a hefty chronicle. Still, the different stories are interlaced. Don Quixote speaks to humankind’s yearning for the heroic, told through the fragile Alonso Quijano, a character created in the imagination of Miguel de Cervantes, a living, breathing, thinking, sensing, feeling collection of bone, tissue, and cells that, during his lifetime, supported organic processes of energy transformation and waste excretion, which themselves relied on atomic and molecular movements honed by billions of years of evolution on a planet forged from the detritus of supernova explosions scattered throughout a realm of space emerging from the big bang. Yet to read Don Quixote’s travails is to gain an understanding of human nature that would remain opaque if embedded in a description of the movements of the knight-­errant’s molecules and atoms or conveyed through an elaboration of the neuronal processes crackling in Cervantes’s mind while writing the novel. Connected though they surely are, different stories, told with different languages and focused on different levels of reality, provide vastly different insights.

2012

• (Gottschall, 2012) ⇒ Jonathan Gottschall. (2012). “The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
  • BOOK OVERVIEW: Humans live in landscapes of make-believe. We spin fantasies. We devour novels, films, and plays. Even sporting events and criminal trials unfold as narratives.

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