Lesson 26: NARR

Practice 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

1. Morgan Freeman is famous for his ability to __________ documentaries with his distinctive voice.

a) narrate
b) narrative
c) narration
d) narrator

2. The documentary used a __________ structure, presenting interviews without a traditional plot.

a) metanarrative
b) narrative arc
c) nonnarrative
d) first-person

3. In The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway serves as the __________ who tells the story.

a) narration
b) narrative
c) narrator
d) narratology

4. Some readers believe Holden Caulfield is an __________—his version of events may not be accurate.

a) unreliable narrator
b) third-person narrative
c) metanarrative
d) narratologist

5. The movie's __________ was gripping—from the setup through the climax to the resolution.

a) narration
b) narrator
c) narrative arc
d) counter narrative

6. Scholars of __________ examine how different cultures structure their stories.

a) narration
b) narrative
c) narratology
d) narrator

7. Her memoir serves as a __________ to official histories that ignored women's contributions.

a) first-person narrative
b) metanarrative
c) nonnarrative
d) counternarrative

8. "The American Dream" is an example of a cultural __________—a big story that shapes how we understand smaller stories.

a) counternarrative
b) metanarrative
c) narration
d) narrator

9. Most novels are written in __________, using "he" or "she" rather than "I."

a) first-person narrative
b) third-person narrative
c) metanarrative
d) nonnarrative

10. The audiobook's __________ was engaging, bringing the characters to life.

a) narrator
b) narration
c) narratology
d) narrative

11. The personal essay used __________, making "I" the center of the story.

a) third-person narrative
b) nonnarrative
c) first-person narrative
d) metanarrative

12. Every culture has its own __________ traditions—ways of telling stories that reflect its values.

a) narrative
b) narrator
c) narration
d) narratology

Practice 2: Fill in the Blank

Use each word from the word bank exactly once.

Word Bank: narrate, narrator, narrative, narration, narratology, nonnarrative, metanarrative, counternarrative, unreliable narrator, narrative arc, first-person narrative, third-person narrative

1. The filmmaker hired an actor to __________ the opening sequence.

2. The autobiography is written as a __________, using "I" throughout.

3. Abstract art is often __________—it doesn't tell a story in the traditional sense.

4. Graduate students in literature may study __________ to understand how stories work.

5. The __________ builds tension slowly, reaching its climax in the final chapter.

6. His personal __________ of immigration shaped his worldview.

7. The __________ is revealed at the end of the novel to have been lying the entire time.

8. "Progress" is a Western __________ that frames history as always moving forward.

9. The historical novel uses __________, following multiple characters' perspectives.

10. Activists often create __________ that challenge official versions of events.

11. The __________ in the audiobook made the characters feel real.

12. The documentary's __________ explained events clearly and concisely.

Practice 3: Reading Passage

When Elena began writing her memoir, she struggled with how to tell her story. Should she use first-person narrative—the intimate "I" that would draw readers close—or step back into third-person narrative for more critical distance?

Her writing instructor explained that the narrator is never just a technical choice. "Every narrator shapes the narrative," she said. "An unreliable narrator can make readers question everything. A clear, trustworthy narrator can make them believe."

Elena chose first person. Her story was personal, and she wanted readers to experience events through her eyes. But she also understood that her account wasn't the only truth. Her father would narrate the same events differently. Her mother's narrative would include details Elena had never known.

As she studied narratology in graduate school, Elena learned about metanarratives—the big cultural stories that frame how we understand individual experiences. The "model minority" metanarrative, for example, had shaped how outsiders saw her family. Her memoir became a counternarrative, challenging those assumptions.

The narrative arc of her book followed her journey from silence to voice. The narration was direct, sometimes painful. When she finished, she knew she hadn't told the only story—but she had told hers.

Questions

1. Elena struggled to choose between first-person and third-person narrative. What's the difference?

a) First-person uses "he/she"; third-person uses "I"
b) First-person uses "I"; third-person uses "he/she"
c) There is no difference
d) Third-person is always unreliable

2. The instructor says "every narrator shapes the narrative." This means:

a) All narrators are unreliable
b) The choice of who tells the story affects how it's told
c) Narrators don't matter
d) Only first-person narrators shape stories

3. Why did Elena choose first-person narrative?

a) It was required by her publisher
b) She wanted distance from the events
c) She wanted readers to experience events through her eyes
d) Third-person is always inferior

4. Her memoir became a "counternarrative." This means it:

a) Had no narrative structure
b) Challenged dominant cultural stories
c) Was written by multiple narrators
d) Used third-person perspective

5. The "narrative arc" of her book describes:

a) A curved line in her illustrations
b) The structure of her story from beginning to resolution
c) Her writing schedule
d) The font she used