Enemy of the People

NARRATIVE
-    [ nar – uh – tiv ]
     noun. a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true
     or fictitious.

• tells a story, usually from one person’s viewpoint.

Mentioned above is the definition of the word ‘narrative’. It is stated there that it simply is an account, report, or story, as of events, experiences, etc. Based on the given definition, can we consider the excerpt from Enemy of the People as a narrative? My answer is no, not really. Here’s why:

That excerpt highlighted the events that transpired during the speech of Dr. Stockmann when he held a town meeting to give a lecture on the baths and its contamination. When the townspeople tried to keep him from speaking, he made an account of all the times that the majority was wrong and supported his statements by citing arguments from the things that happened in history. Dr. Stockmann then begins a long tirade in which he condemns the foundations of the town and the tyranny of the majority. It is true that the part can be considered as a narrative because he relays an account of events as he sees it, but he also tried to make a claim. Although it is true that he told an account of events and it came from his own viewpoint as what a narrative is defined, the excerpt also showed how he made a claim and supported his claim by citing arguments to prove it. He told that the majority is not always right and gave examples to support prove it.

In that light, I believe that the excerpt is more argumentative than narrative because it is based on a claim made by the protagonist. He was there to prove a point to the townspeople and argue with their opinion. As defined in the dictionary, the word argument is defined as a verbal exchange between people with opposite views. There has definitely been verbal exchanges among people with opposite points of view in that excerpt. All in all, I can conclude that the excerpt is more argumentative than narrative.