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In which fictional narrative is the protagonist a perpetually confused idealist with romantic yearnings?

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narrative

American  

[nar-uh-tiv] / ˈnær ə tɪv /

noun

• narratives
  plural

1. a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.

   Synonyms:

   tale, chronicle

2. a book, literary work, etc., containing such a story.

3. the art, technique, or process of narrating, or of telling a story.

   Somerset Maugham was a master of narrative.

4. a story that connects and explains a carefully selected set of supposedly true events, experiences, or the like, intended to support a particular viewpoint or thesis.

   to rewrite the prevailing narrative about masculinity; the narrative that our public schools are failing.

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adjective

1. consisting of or being a narrative.

   a narrative poem.

2. of or relating to narration, or the telling of a story.

   My English teacher's narrative skill makes characters seem to come to life.

3. Fine Arts. representing stories or events pictorially or sculpturally.

   narrative painting.

narrative British  

/ ˈnærətɪv /

noun

1. an account, report, or story, as of events, experiences, etc

2. the part of a literary work that relates events

3. the process or technique of narrating

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adjective

1. telling a story

   a narrative poem

2. of or relating to narration

   narrative art

Synonym Usage

Narrative, account, recital, history are terms for a story of an event or events. Narrative is the general term (for a story long or short; of past, present, or future; factual or imagined; told for any purpose; and with or without much detail). The other three terms apply primarily to factual stories of time already past. An account is usually told informally, often for entertainment, with emphasis on details of action, whether about an incident or a series of happenings. A recital is an extended narrative usually with an informative purpose, emphasizing accuracy and exhaustive details of facts and figures. A history, usually written and at some length, is characterized by a tracing of causes and effects, and by an attempt to estimate, evaluate, and interpret facts.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonnarrative
  adjective
• seminarrative
  adjective
• narratively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• narratives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of narrative

First recorded in 1445–55; from Middle French narratif (adjective and noun), from Late Latin narrātīvus “narration” (noun), “suitable for narration” (adjective), from narrāt(us) “related, told” (past participle of narrāre “to relate, tell, say”) + -īvus, adjective suffix; equivalent to narrate ( def. ) + -ive ( def. )

Explanation

A narrative is a story that you write or tell to someone, usually in great detail. A narrative can be a work of poetry or prose, or even song, theater, or dance. Often a narrative is meant to include the "whole story." A summary will give a few key details and then the narrative will delve into the details. "I hate to interrupt your narrative," is a polite way of stopping someone in the middle of a story. The origin of this noun is the Latin adjective narrativus, from narrare "to tell," from gnarus "knowing." It is related to our English verb know.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

narrative narratives

"Students are winning! I think it is crucial that we unite around that narrative," student Dimitrije Potic told AFP at a May rally in Belgrade that drew more than 180,000 people.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

It feels almost like poetic justice: subverting AI’s narrative fluency by enlisting it in service of our own storytelling, helping us become more intentional—and healthier—authors of our lives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

The old equation - hard work = secure job - no longer works, and they want a new narrative, Xiang says.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

To make up for this, Gray’s team tried to enlist several leading academic historians to instill more of an overarching narrative structure.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026

But from a narrative point of view, in 105 pages nothing happens.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Several researchers have observed that, since the 1980s, the Viking Age has been used to create convenient contemporary narratives.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

“We strongly believe that fear-based narratives are not the way to make the right decisions about the future of such a foundational and empowering technology or bring the public along with us,” said Delangue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Prediction markets can also get caught up in narratives and be skewed by flawed or even fraudulent polls.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Although such stories can be useful, the article suggests that narratives centered on discovery, cooperation and curiosity can encourage audiences to imagine what might go right rather than merely anticipate disaster.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Origin narratives, or “stories about how this all began,” help a group of people feel that they belong to a community with a common past and shared ideas about what is important.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• account
• anecdote
• book
• chronicle
• chronology
• description
• detail
• fiction
• history
• narration
• plot
• version