Patterns of Development I

Narration

 General Introduction:
o Patterns of development assist writers in developing a thesis, supporting that thesis
with specific evidence, and achieving their purpose for writing the essay.
o Purposes for writing:
 Entertaining an audience.
 Expressing/relating the author’s perspective on an issue or issues.
 Portraying the author’s experiences.
 Informing/educating the audience about a specific issue or issues.
 Persuading the audience to think/believe a certain way.
o The patterns of development are:
 Narration.
 Description.
 Exemplification.
 Process.
 Cause and Effect.
 Comparison and Contrast.
 Classification and Division.
 Definition.
o Rarely will an author rely solely on one pattern of development. Instead, most
employ two or more patterns. For example – if you’re writing an argument espousing
your pro-life beliefs with respect to the abortion debate, you may choose to begin
your essay with a personal story about your own experiences or someone’s close to
you; in this case, you’d begin your argument by employing the narration pattern.
Ultimately, though, you’ll likely have to define at least a few critical terms; for
example, when does life begin? In fact…what IS life? Indeed, many critics contend
the abortion debate centers as much around the definition of words as the finer points
of morality and ethics. Thus, to be successful in your efforts, you’ll likely have to rely
upon the definition pattern. Lastly, the narrative pattern of your argument might lead
you directly into a cause and effect pattern. “As a result of my friend’s decision to
abort her unborn child, she suffered for years with feelings of guilt, frustration, and
anger. She has, in fact, been unable to sustain a viable, long-term relationship, much
less conceive another child.” Remember…you’ll likely have to employ more than
one pattern of development in most of your essays.
o Let’s take a close look at the narration pattern of development.
 Narration: Tells a story by presenting, in descriptive detail, events in an orderly, logical
sequence. It is, however, more than just telling a story. It is a pattern of argument that tries
to prove a point by telling a story. (In other words…narrative arguments still posit and then
support a specific thesis.)
o We find narratives everywhere:
- biographies - letters -speeches - histories - diaries
- sermons - news stories - journals - novels - television shows…
o In its most basic form, a narrative pattern tells what happened, how it happened, why
it happened, where it happened, when it happened, and/or who was involved.
o Purpose of a narrative:
 Tell a story.
 Recount events.
 Create a mood or impression.
 Prove a point.
o Narratives rely upon a series/web of rich and specific details in order to create an
authentic and believable picture.
 Authenticity:
 Times.
 Dates.
 Locations.
 People.
 Believability:
 Logical.
 Orderly.
 Authentic.
 Consciously selected and organized details.
o You must establish yourself as an authority on the topic discussed in your narrative.
Why should your readers believe you? You must establish your authority and the
authenticity of your story.
o Effective narratives:
 Rely upon substantive analysis and thorough details.
 Vary sentence structures.
 Maintain clear narrative order:
 Chronological order.
 Flashbacks.
 Foreshadowing.
 In medias res (“in the middle of things”).
 Maintain accurate and consistent verb tenses.
 Sometimes it can be difficult to recount past events with accurate and
consistent verb tenses.
 Employ effective transitions.
 Link events in time.
 Facilitates the flow of the essay.
o Useful tools to use in narrative patterns:
 Words suggesting time:
- Earlier - Eventually - Simultaneously - Initially
- First (Second...) - Later - Then - Meanwhile
- Soon - Before - After - Now
- Ultimately - Finally
o Structure of a Narrative:
 Introduction:
 Attention grabber/hook.
 Establish the context of the story.
 Posit a thesis.
 Introduce the story.
 Body Paragraphs:
 Avoid monotony.
 Recount the events of the story in a logical, organized manner.
 Sustain chronology.
 Provide analysis of the events.
 Provide details.
 Support your thesis.
 Conclusion:
 Reinforce the point of the story (thesis).
 End with a bang…not a whimper. (Don’t just trail off…
Accomplish something with your conclusion.)
o Suggestions for Writing Narration:
 From: Clouse, Barbara Fine. Patterns for a Purpose: A Rhetorical
Reader. New York: McGraw Hill Companies, 1999. 137.
 “Pick a story for a reason. Rather than just tell a story for the sake of
telling a story, have a purpose in mind: to entertain your reader, to
inform or persuade your audience of something, and/or to relate an
experience to your audience. If you have a purpose in mind, your
story will be more interesting because it will have a point” (137).
 “To generate ideas, make a list with the answers to the who, what,
when, where, why, and how questions. Decide which of these should
be emphasized” (137).
 “Identify important features about people and places and note them as
points in the narration where you may want to add descriptive details”
(137).
 “Write out a statement of the significance of your narration” (137).
 “Write your draft in one sitting; do not worry about anything except
getting all the events down and answering all the appropriate
journalist’s questions” (137).
o Checklist for Revising Narration:
 From: Clouse, Barbara Fine. Patterns for a Purpose: A Rhetorical
Reader. New York: McGraw Hill Companies, 1999. 138.
 “Have you answered all the applicable…questions? Are the
appropriate answers emphasized?”
 “Have you described people and scenes when these are important to
the story?”
 “Where appropriate, have you provided conversation to advance the
narration and advance vividness?
 “If the reader requires it, have you provided background information?”
 “Can your reader easily determine what point your narration makes?”
 “Have you omitted extraneous details that slow the pace?”
 “Are your details arranged in chronological order, with or without
flashback?”
 “Have you used transitions to help your reader follow the
chronology?”