Narrative Structure and Literary Terms — Comprehensive Study Notes (Transcript-Based)
Narrative Arc Overview
Most stories follow a pattern called the narrative arc, narrative arc, or story line; same concept described in different words.
The bottom line of a story’s structure is the X position, i.e., exposition: the information needed to begin the story.
Exposition sets up setting, characters, and conflict, and can establish tone or mood from the outset (e.g., horror vs. romance vs. suspense).
Tone or mood is described as the feeling the author creates from the very beginning; different genres require different tonal openings.
The narrator emphasizes that exposition is not just backstory; it can be concise and still effective.
Exposition: Core Components
Exposition includes three core elements:
Setting (place, time, and additional setting factors)
Characters (main character, antagonist, and other major/minor figures)
Conflict (the problem or challenge that starts the story)
Exposition may also introduce mood or tone to establish how the story will feel from the start.
Setting: What It Encompasses
Setting comprises:
Place: can be micro (a classroom, a chair) or macro (Valencia College, Orlando, Florida, United States).
Time: can be micro or macro; examples include specific eras like 1492 or 2025, or time of day (morning, afternoon, midnight).
Season: noted as a possible setting dimension that often aligns with time but considered separately as a seasonal context.
Examples from the talk:
Micro: classroom, chair
Macro: Valencia College, Orlando, Florida, United States, etc.
Time examples: , as possible time frames
Intent: setting helps establish mood and context for the exposition and should be chosen to support the chosen tone (e.g., horror opens with a time like midnight to maximize suspense).
Characters: Roles in Exposition
The narrator emphasizes a personal (nonfiction) narrative where the writer is the main character.
Main character: you (the writer) in nonfiction/personal narrative.
Antagonist: the person who is opposed or who creates conflict; can be a major antagonist or a minor adversary.
Term variety: major/minor characters; pro-tagonist (hero) vs. antagonist (opponent); sometimes described as anti-hero in simple terms.
Note: the exposition should identify who the main character is and outline the key opposing force or obstacle.
The Conflict: The Story’s Problem
Every story needs a problem (conflict).
Types of conflict discussed:
Man vs. Man (human opponents; note: “man” here means humanity, not gender-specific).
Man vs. Nature (environmental or natural forces; e.g., Jack London’s works about survival).
Internal conflict (Man vs. Himself; internal struggle about what to do or what not to do).
The presence of conflict is essential to avoid a boring narrative.
Rising Action: Building Toward the Climax
Rising action is the longest line in the plot diagram, representing a build-up of events that escalate tension and suspense toward the climax.
The line is “rising” because tension increases as events unfold.
The number of events isn’t fixed; a story can have many or few rising-action events.
The accumulation of events leads to the peak of tension at the climax.
The climax is described as the “top of the roller coaster” moment, where the main question is resolved or confronted (e.g., whether the heroine will be murdered or will triumph).
The climax should occur toward the end of the story to maintain reader engagement; a story with an overly long climax can become less interesting.
In the slide, the term is sometimes visualized as a descending line after the climax, leading into the ending.
Climax and Denouement: The Big Moment and Resolution
Climax: the moment of greatest excitement or danger; the turning point where the central conflict is confronted.
Denouement (French term; pronounced /dɒ̃ˈuːm/; sometimes humorously referred to as the “dang long” in class usage): the resolution or conclusion of the conflict.
Resolution can be positive or negative (e.g., a character dies or loses; the conflict is resolved in another way).
Falling action: the slow-down phase after the climax where the consequences of the climax unfold and lead toward resolution.
Ending/Resolution: the final wrap-up of the narrative; the conflict is resolved (or not, depending on the story).
Plot, Theme, and Literary Terms
Plot terms:
Sequence of events: the order in which events occur in the story.
Plot vs. exposition vs. narrative arc: different terms for describing how the story unfolds.
Theme (the big idea about life that the story communicates):
The author’s intended message or insight (the “what the reader takes away”).
There can be multiple themes; readers may interpret differently.
Character types:
Flat character: a character who does not change or shows only one dimension.
Round (dynamic) character: a character who changes or has multiple facets.
Protagonist: the main character facing the central conflict.
Antagonist: the character who opposes the protagonist and drives the conflict.
Irony: three kinds mentioned:
Situational irony: when the opposite of what is expected occurs (e.g., a character dodges a sprinkler but falls into a pool).
Verbal irony: saying the opposite of what one means (sarcasm).
Dramatic irony: the audience knows something a character does not know.
Figurative language:
Simile: a comparison using like or as (e.g., “as X as Y”).
Metaphor: a direct comparison not using like or as (e.g., “X is Y”).
Personification: giving human traits to non-human things (e.g., “The wind is howling.”).
Symbol: something that represents a larger idea or concept beyond its literal meaning (e.g., the papaya representing hope; the American flag representing freedom).
Symbolism in narrative examples:
Papayas in Inside Out and Back Again symbolize hope; the papaya tree may symbolize resilience amid oppression.
The flag as a symbol of freedom for many readers.
The talk also encourages including a symbol or metaphor where appropriate to deepen meaning and engagement.
Language and Narrative Style
Tone vs. mood: opening tone sets the emotional atmosphere (fearful for horror, yearning for romance, suspense for thrillers).
Language devices:
Metaphor: direct symbolic comparison without using like/as.
Simile: comparison using like or as.
Personification: giving animals or objects human characteristics.
Symbolic imagery: objects or images that carry deeper meaning beyond the surface.
Example notes from the lecture:
“Nature always wears the color of the spirit” is used to illustrate how tone can align with mood or ethos at the start of a story.
The wind is described (though the exact wording in the transcript is “The wind is hollowing”) to illustrate personification.
Narrative Writing Process and Classroom Application
Course plan and process:
Students often plan to write a narrative essay in stages, not all at once.
Step 1: Review literary terms and prepare for a literary terms quiz due Sunday.
Step 2: Plan the story and produce an outline (only the outline initially; drafting the story afterward).
Step 3: Complete an academic refresher (AR) course series to reinforce writing skills and academic integrity.
Outline-focused approach:
Outlining before writing helps structure the rising action, climax, and resolution more effectively.
Emphasis on not rushing the exposition but ensuring it is concise yet informative.
Educational approach and assessment:
The instructor uses three weeks to work on the narrative project with gradual steps.
Students will study literary terms and complete a quiz, then proceed to outline and writing tasks.
Steve Jobs: Three Stories Framework (Example of Narrative Structure)
The instructor references Steve Jobs’ commencement speech as an exemplary case of narrative storytelling.
Jobs’ speech structure as described:
He tells three personal stories from his life; the aim is to convey a broader life lesson through concrete anecdotes.
First story (as described in transcript): “connecting with rocks” – Jobs describes dropping out of college after about six months, then continuing to attend as a drop-in for roughly , and later deciding to pursue college again.
Second story (as described): about his biological mother and adoption and the social expectations surrounding education; a narrative about the role of family expectations in his path.
Third story (implied but not fully included in the transcript excerpt): a continuation of his life experiences illustrating the overarching message; not detailed in the provided transcript.
Purpose of the example:
Demonstrates how personal narratives can convey larger ideas through a sequence of vivid, relatable stories.
Encourages students to identify a three-story structure in their own writing or in other speeches/media.
Academic Refreshers and Course Logistics (ARs)
Academic Refreshers (ARs): Valencia College online mini-courses to support academic skills.
How ARs work:
Students enroll in AR modules and complete: pretest → guided instruction → practice test → post test → badge.
Each AR yields a badge upon successful completion (e.g., Academic Honesty, MLA formatting, sentence errors, etc.).
Specific example given:
Academic Honesty is the first AR and takes about five minutes; it covers not cheating.
The instructor requires a screenshot of the badge to verify completion.
The MLA format AR is mentioned as another option later in the module.
Grade and progress notes:
The instructor shares that ARs are reflected in the grade book as badges and scores (pretest vs post-test results).
Examples show a student earning a 9/10 on a pretest and 10/10 on the post-test for MLA format; badges appear in the grade/credentials area.
Practical workflow:
Some ARs may be locked depending on class schedule; the instructor commits to unlocking and guiding students through the process.
Students should capture their badge as proof and submit it to the instructor through the preferred channel (Box or email/message).
Additional Notes and Practical Tips for Study
The notes from this transcript are designed to mirror a lecture on narrative structure and to prepare for a narrative-writing assignment.
Several synonyms for plot are mentioned (plot, storyline, narrative arc, diagram of the story) to help students recognize different terms describing the same concept.
Students are encouraged to apply these concepts to their own nonfiction/personal narratives while keeping in mind the balance between exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
When using literary terms (theme, irony, symbol, metaphor, simile, personification), students should provide concrete examples from their writing (or from studied texts) to illustrate understanding.
Formatting note: For any mathematical expressions, formulas, or numbers that appear in notes, please enclose them using LaTeX syntax and wrap the expression in double dollar signs, e.g., . In this transcript, numerical examples like 1492, 2025, or durations such as 6 months or 18 months can be represented as , , , , respectively, to maintain consistency with the LaTeX convention.
Quick Reference: Key Terms and Concepts
Exposition: setting, characters, and conflict introduced at the story’s start; tone/mood established.
Setting: place, time, and season; micro vs. macro scales.
Characters: protagonist/main character; antagonist/opponent; major/minor characters; dynamic/round vs. flat/static.
Conflict: man vs. man; man vs. nature; internal conflict.
Rising Action: sequence of events building suspense toward the climax.
Climax: peak moment of excitement or danger; turning point of the narrative.
Falling Action: events following the climax leading to the resolution.
Resolution/Denouement: conclusion; conflict resolved (may be positive or negative).
Plot: sequence of events; may be described as storyline, plot diagram, or narrative arc.
Theme: overarching message or big idea about life; interpreted differently by readers.
Irony: situational, verbal, dramatic.
Figurative Language: metaphor, simile, personification; symbol as a broader device.
Symbol: object or imagery that represents a deeper meaning (e.g., papayas representing hope; flags representing freedom).
Tone vs. Mood: tone is the author’s attitude; mood is the reader’s emotional response.
Outline-first approach: plan the narrative with an outline before drafting the full essay.
Academic Refreshers (AR): short online courses to reinforce academic skills; include pretest, instruction, practice, post-test, and badge.