Making Worlds from Words: An Analysis of the Oral and Written Narratives of a Preadolescent Girl.

A study examined the narrative structures present in one young girl's writing and the way those themes were incorporated into a group's oral story creation. Stories were collected during a summer reading and writing group as part of a qualitative study exploring narrative structures being used by preadolescent girls. Subjects were 14 girls from diverse racial background and ranging in age from 9-11. These girls learned to tell stories within their cultures, and their talk and writing reflected what they knew from their own social circumstances. Analysis indicated that several of the stories featured plots that depended on the main (female) character's lack of agency, and many of the stories had references to the importance of looks or appearance. Analysis also showed that, in one story selected as an example, the writer's religious background was omnipresent, and references in the story were misunderstood by listeners and instructor alike who did not share that same religious background. Findings suggest that this misunderstanding indicates the impact on voice that dominant secular narratives can have on an individual's narrative. (Contains 11 references; the fictional written story example and the group created oral story are appended.) (CR)