Evaluate narratives

based on how the

author developed the
element:
-theme
Picture Prediction
Look at the picture below then answer the following
questions.
What do you think are the red hen, the duck, the cat, and
the dog talking about? Do you think they agree with each
other?
What do you think is the narrative going to be about?
Sharing One’s Experience
Answer the following questions then share your
answers to the class.
Have you experienced asking someone to help you
carry out a task?
Did he/she help you? How? If not, why?
How does it feel to be turned down by your friends
after asking them a request or favor? Explain your
answer.
Do you know that the red hen (in the narrative you
are about to read) was refused by her friends when
she had asked them to do some favors? Let’s find out.
 The Red Hen and Her Friends
Once, there lived a hen with her five chicks. The
hen was as red as beetroot. She had three friends: a
duck, a cat and a dog. They all lived happily.
One day, the red hen stumbled on to a wheat seed.
“Hey, who among you wish to plant this seed?" she
asked.
“Not me, friend" refused the duck.
“Nor can I." declined the cat.
“Count me not." the dog turned his back.
“All right. I will do it then by myself," said the hen.
What do you think would the red hen do? Why do you think so?
 She planted the seed and watered it. Alas! It grew
quickly to yield the brownish wheat.
“Hi! There, who among you wish to harvest the
wheat?" asked the red hen.
“Not me, friend," the duck sounded bored.
“Nor can I." shrugged the cat.
“Count me not!" avoided the dog.
“If so, I will do it by myself," the red hen spoke up
as she labored all day along. By evening she had two
gunny bags full of wheat.
What did the red hen ask her friends to do? Did they help her? What
are the clues that tell you that the red hen’s friends did not help her?
 “Hello pal! Who among you will lend me a hand to
grind this wheat? She queried. All the three refused as
usual.
"I will see that I grind this by myself. I will make
flour, knead dough and bake bread!" she announced. The
next day she baked delicious bread.

What did the red hen ask her friends to do? Did they help her?
What did the red hen do all by herself?
 “Howdy, who among you wish to eat this bread?"
she asked merrily.
“I want to!" answered the duck, smacking her lips.
“Me too!" said the cat with his mouth watering.
“Yummy, smells good," spoke up the dog, shuffling
his feet eagerly.

What did the red hen ask her friends to do? What was the reaction of
the duck, the cat, and the dog? What do you think will be the
response of the red hen to her friends? Will she let them eat the
bread?
 “None of you can have a bite! I slaved in the field
and at home. Only my children and I are entitled to eat
this bread!" So saying, the red hen fed her chicks and
ate a sumptuous meal that day.

What was the response of the red hen to her friends? Did she let them
have a bite of the bread? Can you identify the clues that help you
figure out the red hen’s response?
Task 1. Questions for Discussion

1. Who are the characters in the story?

2. What did the red hen ask her friends to help her
with?
3. What did the three animals tell the red hen when she
asked them to help her?
4. What specific tasks did the red hen do in the story?
5. When did the red hen’s friends finally want to help
her? Why?
6. Why didn’t the red hen let them eat the bread?
UNDERSTANDING NARRATIVE

A narrative refers to a story or an account of

something, dealing with sequences of events and
experiences, though not necessarily in strict
order. It may be actual or fictional, and can be
expressed orally or in writing. (Harris and Hodges,
eds, 1995).
A narrative contains several elements, such as
characterization, plot and setting, that all work
together to construct the narrative’s theme.
UNDERSTANDING THEME
Narratives always contain at least one theme.
Single themes can build on one another to convey a
larger message, or a work may stick to one key
theme.
The theme is the central message or idea of a
narrative. It tells the reader what the literary piece
is all about. It is expressed through what the
characters say, do and think, and through the
actions that take place within the story. The theme
is also revealed in how the plot and setting the
narrative are constructed and presented.
 By telling the reader what the story is about,
the theme expresses what ideas or issues are
raised within the story. Though a longer narrative,
like a novel, might deal with several themes at
once, most narratives contain one theme.
Examples of themes include friendship, family,
love, respect for others, helping one another,
world peace, equality, patriotism and nationalism,
loyalty, cooperation, determination to succeed,
etc.
EVALUATING THE STORY'S END
The way a narrative ends can provide key
insights into the author's message. If something
bad happens to a character, the author may be
trying to convey that the character made the
wrong choices or that the world is unfair. In some
narratives, the end of the story attempts to sum
up the theme or provide additional clues to the
story's point, so pay careful attention to any
surprises in the ending or any insight the
characters themselves offer.
Task 2. Let’s Read Aloud
Read the narrative “The Red Hen and Her
Friends” aloud in the class. Read it
aloud again - this time, with your partner, then
with your groupmates.
Task 3. Pair and Share
Answer the following questions in each column in
the table. Write your answer inside
the box. Then, choose your partner and discuss
your answers with each other.
Share your common answers to the class.
Title of the Narrative:
The Red hen and Her Friends
What have you What is your reaction What message do you
learned about the narrative? think the author tried
about the to convey in this
narrative? narrative?
(theme)
Task 4. Read and Analyze
Read the following narratives then answer the
questions that follow.
Narrative 1:
Long ago in a little town in the East, there
lived a couple. They lived in a modest house
together with their son and the father of the
husband. For a while, the old man lived happily
with his son, his daughter-in-law and his
grandson.
 But when he grew very old, he became
very feeble. Every time he ate at the
table, he always broke a plate because his
hands trembled so much. The old man’s
awkwardness soon made his son angry, and
one day he made a wooden plate for his
father. The poor old man had to eat all
his food on his wooden plate.
 When the grandson noticed what his
father had done, he took some tools and
went down under the house. The he took a
piece of board and began to carve it. His
father saw him and said, “What are you
doing son?” The boy replied to him,
“Father, I am making wooden plates for
you and my mother when you are old.”
 As the son uttered these words, tears
gushed from the father’s eyes. From that
time on, the old man was allowed to eat at
the table with the rest of the family. He
was no longer made to eat from a wooden
plate.
1. What would happen if the man did not change his
attitude towards his own father, the old man?
A. He would have a peaceful and orderly life.
B. He would have lived happily and abundantly.
C. His own son would also be afraid of the old man.
D. His own son would be angry with him.
2. What human right is highlighted in the last two
sentences of the selection?
A. Right to acquire property
B. Right to be respected
C. Right to education
D. Right to vote
3. What is the theme of the narrative?
A. Treat others as you would wish them to treat you
B. Presence of mind does more good than harm
C. The old man and the weak never deserve good
treatment
D. Treat parents well only when they are young and
capable
Narrative 2:
A traveler once lost his way in a desert.
The sun was so hot. He was very tired and
thirsty. Soon, he came to an oasis. An oasis is
a low fertile place in the desert where there
is water.
The weary traveler exclaimed, “I guess
I’m too lucky.” As the traveler, came to the
water, he saw lying upon the bank, a sack half
filled with something.
 “Oh, God!” he exclaimed as he knelt beside
the sack, opening it with his both hands. “May
there be some fruits or coconuts inside so
that I may have something to eat as well as
water to drink.” With his thought, he took his
knife and hurriedly cut the sack. When he
saw what’s inside, he said in a sad,
disappointed way, “How poor I am. It’s only
diamonds!”
1. How did the traveler feel when he lost his way in a desert?
A. Happy and contented C. Tired and hungry
B. Afraid and worried D. Surprised and excited
2. What is the appropriate title for the narrative?
A. The Traveler and the Oasis
B. Only Diamonds
C. The Legend of Desert
D. The Poor Man in the Desert
3. What is the theme of the narrative?
A. Fruits are none existent in the desert
B. Priority of man depends upon his needs
C. A traveler can never appreciate diamonds
D. Disappointment is part of life
Narrative 3:
There was once a shepherd boy who tended his sheep at
the foot of a mountain near a forest. His life was pretty
boring, so he thought of a plan to amuse himself and have a
little fun. He ran towards the village calling out "Wolf! Wolf!"
and the villagers came out to help him, only to find him
laughing like a hyena. The boy enjoyed his trick very much, so
the next day he tried it again, and fooled the villagers for the
second time. But shortly after this, a wolf actually did come
out from the forest and began to chase the sheep, and the boy
of course cried out again, "Wolf! Wolf!" But this time, the
villagers didn’t pay attention to him, thinking the boy was
playing again with them. So the Wolf made a good meal of the
boy's flock and then went back into the forest.
1. What plan did the shepherd boy do to amuse himself?
A. He played with his sheep at the foot of a mountain
B. He told the villagers that a wolf was around
C. He called his friends to go to the forest
D. He went back to the forest and tried to hunt the
wolf
2. How did the villagers respond to the boy after crying
out that a wolf actually did come out of the forest?
A. They did not believe him
B. They went out to help him
C. They showed concern towards him
D. They got mad at him
3. What is the theme of the narrative?
A. Take good care of animals
B. Regret is always at the end
C. The search for the truth is a never ending process
one has to face
D. Liars are not believed the moment they speak the
truth
Task 5. The Search for the Narratives
Complete the table below by writing down the titles of
the narratives that you have read in the left column and by
identifying the theme in each narrative in the right column.

Title of Narrative Theme

1.
2.
3.
Let’s Remember This

Themes in narratives are oftentimes

varied. They may be stated directly or
indirectly Therefore, it is necessary to
read, understand, and analyze the entire
narrative to figure out its underlying
theme – the message or idea the author
wants to convey in the narrative.