Narrative essays, as Purdue University notes, use stories to prove their point, since good narrative essays always have a point to make. They have a thesis, as do expository essays, which explain a process or idea. Both essays share and fulfill a purpose. A narrative essay might tell the backstories of how Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was received, using several amusing anecdotes. An expository essay might analyze the speech's structure. Both have the Gettysburg Address as their focal point. One essay discusses effect; the other talks about form and structure.
Expository and Narrative Essays Prove
Expository and narrative essays are linked by the process of proving themselves. Both go through an explanation to arrive at their point. The narrative does so with a story arc consisting of exposition, rising action, climax and resolution. The expository essay explains and analyzes its topic. Both arrive at their respective endings with their points made and their purposes fulfilled. The narrative essay enriches the reader's appreciation of the Gettysburg Address' checkered history; the expository essay increases understanding of Lincoln's writing style.
- Purdue University: Online Writing Lab: Narrative Essays
- Purdue University: Online Writing Lab: Expository Essays
- University of Waterloo: Essay Structure
- Sandhills Community College: Plot, Theme, the Narrative Arc, and Narrative Patterns: The Narrative Arc
- Santa Barbara City College: Structure of a General Expository Essay
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