A narrative is a story of an event being recounted in a form which can be interpreted by the receiver. Sharing narratives effectively requires a certain set of skills such as, an advanced understanding of the vernacular language of the listeners, an understanding of the society of the listeners, the use of body language to support spoken words, and a full understanding of the story. The understanding of language and society is for the use of humor and drama. Both require advanced knowledge of social norms and the knowledge of which words to chose to convey disparity or disbelief. Body language is necessary for words to have validation, and knowing what is trying to conveyed would help the cause as well.
Abbot said, "It is hard to believe that the appetite for narrative is something we learn rather than something that is built into our genes."(1) This is because society has such a huge influence on narratives that the skill to use narratives must be taught.
Narratives are not just speeches, but rather a story. Barthes understands the way the story is conveyed changes and refers to narratives as "vehicles."(2) Narratives can be video games, they can be movies, they can even be a blog post. Narrative is not restricted to just spoken word. A narrative can be shared in many different forms which makes it a versatile method of sharing stories and ideas.
1) Abbott, H. (n.d.). The Cambridge introduction to narrative (Second ed., p. 3). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press
2) Barthes, R. (1975). An introduction to the structural analysis of narrative. New Literary History, 6(2), 237
I like how you incorporated the fact that sharing narratives requires certain skills that are learned, rather than naturally acquired. I agree that society definitely plays a role in the way narratives are told and received. You show how narratives can be portrayed in a variety of ways by giving examples such as speeches, blog posts, and even video games. Your last sentence really sums up your perspective on narratives.
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