narratív

Narratív is a term used in literary and media studies to describe narrative—the representation of a sequence of events through language, images, or audio. In its broad use, narratív covers what is told and how it is told: the content, structure, perspective, and voice of the storytelling. The word appears in several languages with similar meaning and is often used in scholarly discussion of storytelling across genres and media.

Core components of a narratív include the plot, the characters, the setting, and the time frame; the choice of narrator and point of view; and the organizing principles by which events are arranged. Narrative devices such as chronology, flashbacks, foreshadowing, and focalization influence how listeners or readers perceive the story.

Forms and media: narratív can be fictional or non-fictional, oral or written, and extended across film, television, theatre, or digital formats. It can be linear or non-linear and may employ a frame narrative, multiple perspectives, or other structure to guide interpretation.

Theoretical study of narratív, or narratology, analyzes how stories are constructed—discussing ideas such as fabula versus syuzhet (the story versus the plot arrangement), voice, reliability, and narrative tempo—and how these choices affect meaning and reception.

Applications: narratív concepts are used to analyze literature, cinema, journalism, and interactive media. They help explain how stories shape memory, identity, persuasion, and cultural understanding.