PLOT AND CONFLICT IN ORAL NARRATIVES

 

PLOT AND CONFLICT  IN ORAL NARRATIVES

Conflict refers to the problem a character faces in a story. Conflict in oral narratives is a central element that drives the story and engages the audience.  For instance in a story, a child might choose to disobey their mother’s advice not to go the forest alone but still they decide to go. While there , the child is attacked by an ogre. The child defying the mother’s advice is the conflict. These conflicts are important in oral narratives as the moral values are anchored on them. In the story of The Fox and the Crow, the conflict is the Fox’s desire to have the crow’s cheese. Through this, we see the problem of greed and flattery.

 

Types of Conflict

1.     Individual vs. Individual: This is where characters may face off with fellow characters whether it is personified animals or just human characters. Like the Fox and the crow are a good example of this type of conflict.

2.     Individual vs Nature: This is seen in stories where a character struggles  with forces such as harsh weather, climatic disasters such as floods and droughts.

3.     Individual vs. Society: Characters may challenge societal norms, customs, or rules leading to harsh punishments. This is common in myths and even legend narratives.

4.     Individual vs. Supernatural: some narratives involve conflicts with spirits, gods, or mythical beings. This is common in mythical stories.

5.     Individual verses self: some oral narratives explore internal struggles within characters such as the challenge of making difficult decisions. Dilemma narratives are characterized by this kind of conflict.

 

Plot in Oral Narratives

This  refers to the order of events in a story.  How does the story start? How does it develop and how does it end? This is the plot of the story. Like in the Fox and the crow, the story begins with the fox seeing a crow fly off with cheese in its beak. He says he deserves to have the cheese as he is a fox. The story develops when he goes to the crow and greets her. He flatters her by praising her appearance and asks her to sing him a song with her sweet voice. The crows opens her beak to caw a song and the cheese falls off her beak only to be snapped by the fox. The story ends by the fox telling the crow not to trust flatters highlighting the moral of the story.

 

The following is the structure of most narratives:

1.     Exposition: Introduction of the setting, characters, and how they relate. The fox seeing the crow fly off with a piece of cheese is the exposition

2.     Rising Action: the conflict is introduced and developed by the character’s actions. The fox telling himself that the cheese belongs to him as he is the fox and going to the crow to trick her to sing is the rising action

3.     Climax: This is the most intense moment in the story as what the audience feared for finally happens as the main character comes to face with the situation. The crow opening her beak to sing is the climax as it loses the cheese to the fox.

4.     Resolution (Denouement): The conflict is resolved and the story ends. The fox takes the cheese and tells the crow never to trust flatters. Most moral lessons in narratives are captured in the resolution.

 

 

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