High School English: Oral Narratives Notes

Introduction to Oral Narratives

  • Oral narratives are a genre of oral literature.
  • They recount events, people, and places.
  • Can be fictional (non-factual) or non-fictional (factual).
  • Other terms for narratives include tale, folk tale, or story.
  • At their essence, oral narratives are stories spoken to an audience.
  • Typically handed down through generations by word of mouth.

Classification of Oral Narratives

  • Oral narratives can be classified into several categories:
    1. Myths
    2. Legends
    3. Ogre or monster stories
    4. Trickster stories
    5. Etiological narratives
    6. Dilemma stories
    7. Fables
    8. Spirit tales
    9. Allegories

Myths

  • Myths deal with origins and involve supernatural beings.
  • Example: Explaining the origin of death or a group of people.
Characteristics of Myths
  • Considered true explanations of the natural world.
  • Often involve non-human characters (gods, goddesses, etc.).
  • Settings exist in a proto-world different from our reality.
  • Plots may involve interaction between different worlds.
  • Events often defy natural laws, reflecting a connection to another world.

Legends

  • Legends recount stories of outstanding people who influenced historical events.
  • They blend factual bases with imaginative elements and exaggeration.
  • Targeted mainly at the youth to emulate heroes.
Characteristics of Legends
  • Feature extraordinary actions by the hero.
  • Historical facts intertwined with fictional elements.
  • May involve betrayal or a mysterious birth/death.
  • Set in the present world.

Ogre / Monster Stories

  • Typically involve an evil character (ogre) that represents a threat.
  • These narratives usually have a happy ending.
Functions of Ogre Stories
  1. Warn against strangers.
  2. Caution youth regarding unknown marriages.

Trickster Stories

  • Center on a character who uses cunning to compensate for physical weakness.
Character Traits of Tricksters
  • Alternates between cleverness & stupidity, kindness & cruelty, deceiver & deceived.
  • Often break taboos and create culture.

Etiological Narratives

  • Address the origin of phenomena and events.
Examples
  • Why the hyena has shorter back legs.
  • Why the rainbow appears after rain.
  • Why the hare has a short tail.

Dilemma Stories

  • These stories present characters with difficult choices.
  • Morally ambiguous situations lead to audience speculation.
Functions of Dilemma Stories
  1. Provide insights into characters' lives.
  2. Create suspense as audiences await decisions.

Fables

  • Feature animal characters that speak & act like humans.
  • Often convey moral lessons.

Spirit Tales

  • Include ghosts or spirits as characters.

Allegory

  • Represents real-life events through narrative, characters, and symbolism.

Setting in Oral Narratives

  • Details the physical environment (lakes, mountains, forests).
  • Describes economic activities (hunting, farming, fishing).
  • Illustrates social activities (ceremonies, entertainment).
  • Covers political structures (power dynamics and wars).

Features of Oral Narratives

Opening Formula
  • Used to indicate the beginning of a story; transitions the audience from reality to fantasy (e.g., "Once upon a time…").
Functions of Opening Formula
  • Announce the narrative's beginning.
  • Capture the audience's attention.
  • Transition the audience into the story.
Closing Formula
  • Marks the end of a story and returns the audience back to reality.
Functions of Closing Formula
  • Announce narrative's conclusion.
  • Break audience concentration.
  • Prepare for subsequent narratives or activities.
Use of Idiophones
  • Words that imitate sounds made by characters in the story (e.g., "buzz" for bees).
Repetition
  • Reiterating phrases or sentences for emphasis and rhythm.
Use of Songs
  • Enhances character traits, themes, and entertainment value.
Allusions
  • Clarifies complex ideas by referencing familiar concepts or texts.
Suspense
  • Leaves audiences wondering about future events due to delayed climaxes.
Dialogue
  • Direct speech attributed to characters, aiding in theme and character development.
Fantasy
  • Introduces imaginary elements that create fantastical elements in the narrative.

Techniques of Story Telling

  • Use gestures to emphasize ideas.
  • Alter facial expressions to match emotions in the story.
  • Vary voice tones per character (lower for small animals, higher for larger ones).
  • Adjust the pace for different aspects of the narrative.
  • Engage the audience by involving them in singing or actions.
  • Employ mimicry to imitate characters’ actions and speech patterns.