FEATURES OF STYLE IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Oral narratives employ certain feature forms or qualities to deliver their message. Style has to do with the way language is fashioned or used artistically to communicate.
These features of styles includes: -
1. OPENING FORMULAE IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Opening formula is evident in a narrative when the story begins with words; a long time ago, a Long long time ago or once upon a time. When a story begins this way it achieves certain effects or functions including.
i. It marks the beginning of the narrative.
ii. The person who utters those words is immediately identified as the narrator.
iii. These words call for attention from the audience as the story has started.
iv. The words clearly indicates that we are moving away from the natural world and entering the fictional world of the narrator since we are dealing with a long time – ago the infinite past.
NB: However not all narratives start with the opening formulae myths and legends for instance do not start with it for they are believed to be true by their respective communities.
2. CLOSING FORMULAE IN ORAL NARRATIVES
The closing formula is evident when the narrative ends with the words; there ends my story and that is my story of similar words.
This kind of ending has its effects or functions.
i. It marks the end of the narrative.
ii. Since the narrative has ended the audience is removed from the narrative fiction world and released from concentration.
iii. The audience is also free to participate by reflecting on the story or asking questions.
iv. The present narrator makes way for another narrator or presentation
3. TIMELESSNESS IN ORAL NARRATIVES
The time when the events of the narrative took place is not specified. The narrative is said to take place. A long time ago, one day, at that time, those days e.t.c.
Timelessness enhances the fictional quality of the narrative as there is no reference time. The story becomes believable since it did not take place yesterday but infinite past when those things were possible. So the narrative becomes a time in the content of the time.
4. FANTASY IN ORAL NARRATIVES
This refers to elements, situations, events or happenings in the narrative that are impossible in ordinary day life. Fantasy is the opposite of reality. Example of such includes characters dying and coming back to life. Animals changing into human beings and vice versa: plants and the inanimate objects acquiring human nature e.t.c.
However, the use of animal characters is not a fantasy for it is nature of oral narratives. Animals are characters just like human beings.
Fantasy is a source of humour in the story. It also helps to enhance plots by providing for the impossible.
5. PERSONIFICATION/USE OF ANIMAL CHARACTERS IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Personification goes beyond the use of animal characters as other forms of life may be given human attributes as well. The use of animal characters is almost synonymous with oral narratives animals are indeed the characters in the narrative.
Why are animals characters used in oral narratives?
(i) To create humour: - the imagination of why the animals can do is a great source of humour.
(ii) To achieve direct castigation or to avoid directly attacking human beings. This is the principle purpose so as to make human beings see their folly in behaving as those animals do.
(iii) This leads to passing a moral message. Animals are used to teach us.
(iv) The universal nature of animals helps to universalize the issue at hand. The use of certain objects may tend to localize the message but animals have a universal appeal and their use send the message across various divides.
6. REPETITION IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Words or phrases may be repeated in a narrative. A common repetition is they went and went, they worked and worked, They ate and ate.
Such repetition serves the following functions:
i. It creates some rhythm or regularity.
ii. It is a source of humour.
iii. It emphasizes or stresses what is being talked about.
iv. It may serve to show a sense of continuation or cumulative e.g. They walked and walked indicates they walked for a long time and covered a long distance.
v. Repetition may also indicate a tone or set of moods of the narrative. When a sad phrase is repeated severally, it creates the mood of sadness.
7. RHETORICAL QUESTIONS IN ORAL NARRATIVES
A rhetorical question is a question asked but whose answer is not provided or needed rather it is left up to the audience to think in search of the answer.
8. USE OF SONGS IN ORAL NARRATIVES
The function of a Song in an oral narratives includes: -
i. It entertains the audience and breaks the monopoly of narration. The song provides a good opportunity for the audience to participate in the narration.
ii. It enhances plot development by prolonging the story and joining up the different episodes in the narrative.
iii. It captures the mood of the moment as it can express joy or sadness. This cases or relief tension in the oral narrative.
iv. A song creates suspense in the narrativeand can be used to anticipate the climax of the story.
v. A song may become a source of communication between characters in the oral narrative. E.g. a bird may deliver a message in a song. A song may help character development when it exposes aspect of character.
9. DIALOGUE IN ORAL NARRATIVES
This refers to a conversation between two or more characters in the story. Dialogue enhances plot development it may help in character exposition and bring realism into the story.
10. HUMOUR/COMIC RELIEF IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Some elements of an oral narrative elicit light moments and laughter from the audience. Humour helps create interest in the audience and keep them glued to the story. Humour also breaks away tension among the audience.
11. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE/FIGURES OF SPEECH IN ORAL NARRATIVES
The use of figurative language in oral narratives like imagery, refer in a narrow sense to the use of simile and metaphors. Similes are images that directly compare two or more things using words like as, than: as black as charcoal, black like coal, black than darkness itself. A metaphor is a comparison in which one thing is called another. She is a peacock.
These comparisons help to create a mental image of what is being described by making what is abstract become concrete. Some comparisons can be a source of humour. Note that figurative language or imagery can broadly include similes, metaphors, personification, symbolism and exaggerations.
12. EXAGGERATION/HYPERBOLE IN ORAL NARRATIVES
During the delivery of an oral narrative, some elements of reality are deliberated blown out of proportion such that they look large than life.
This creates humour and occasions help us to visualize issues by magnifying them.
13. SYMBOLISM IN ORAL NARRATIVES
This refers to the use of a person, animal or object to represent an ideal or something else in an oral narrative. In life, we have come to see across as a symbol of Christianity. Some animals also seem to carry a certain idea e.g. a dove usually represents peace.
However, students should be cautioned against symbol hunting, the tendency to read symbols behind everything they read.
14. SUSPENSE IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Like humour, it is both a style and an effect of another style. Suspense is a state of poised anticipation or expectation. It arises from delayed activities that we look forward to. A successful narrative should carry suspense throughout the story to whet the appetite of the audience as they eagerly look forward to what happens next.
15. USE OF PROVERBS AND WISE SAYING IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Proverbs can be used in oral narrative to convey a message. They carry both literal and metaphorical interpretations.
16. IRONY IN ORAL NARRATIVES
This refers to a deliberate misrepresentation of the truth in oral narratives. It is a mode of communication where meaning is expressed through deliberately expressing the opposite of what is intended in the hope that the audience (or reader) will decipher the true meaning it can thus be called honest deception.
Irony also accrues from situations where what happens is the opposite of what seemed obvious. In a story, a jealous stepmother puts poison in food expecting to kill a stepson but it is an ironic twist, the food is eaten by her own son who dies.
17. IDEOPHONES IN ORAL NARRATIVES
These are sound produced by man, Animals and nature that have been coded into words. The barking of the Dog gugugu!, the hissing of the snake sssh!, the mooing of the cow Moooh!, Laugh, Kwa! Kwa! Kwa! Or hehehe! Or Waaah!.
Ideophones are used to help create realism in the oral narrative, break monotony of story and maybe be a source of humour.
18. ONOMATOPOEA IN ORAL NARRATIVES
Certain words or expressions are derived from their natural sound or ideophones. Consider the following
ONOMATOPOEIA IDEOPHONE
Moo - Moooh! Moooh!
Mew/miaow - Miaoh! Miaoh!
Howl - Hooo! Hooo!
Bang - Ba! Ba! Ba!
Croak - Croo! Croo! Croo!
Zoom - Zoo! Zoo! Zoo!
Hiss - Ssssssh! Ssssssh!
Boom - Booo! Booo! Booo!
Hum - Mmmm! Mmmm!