Elements of storytelling in student essays

Abstract

Using the example of essays by first-year students of the Faculty of Sociology, SPbSU, written as part of the assignments in the course “Russian Language and Culture of Speech” in 2023, the author analyzes the elements of storytelling encountered in their work. It is noted that in general students have an idea of composition, plot, characters, development of action, etc., but often they do not clearly understand the specifics of the narrative, cannot always maintain a style, cannot create a structured and logically coherent text. Dramatic, even tragic situations are used to add greater expressiveness; characters move freely in time and space; most often an internal conflict is used to develop the action; less popular are the struggle of motives and the clash with their own conscience; external conflicts (confrontation with family) are isolated. A common shortcoming of many essays is the plot and structural incompleteness, when there is no logical or compositional point that would complete the narrative.