Exposition in Narration

In the study of Exposition, as well as in that of Description, our main concern is with the expository paragraph rather than the theme, for we mean to use this form of composition chiefly as another accessory of Narration. It often happens that we wish to pause in the telling of a story and make a general reflection, a remark that will connect the incident we have been relating with life in general or to show that our story illustrates some large principle of life. You have, no doubt, heard people remark rathCr tritely, after listening to a tragic recital of some kind, "Such is life," "Everyone has his trou¬bles," "Riches do not always bring happiness."

This tendency to philosophize or generalize about human experience seems to be natural with all of us, and we therefore enjoy finding it in literature if it does not become too obtrusive. We are inter¬ested in the general conclusions to which other people have come in regard to certain questions, because these sometimes help us to solve problems of conduct which have arisen in our relations with others. We have seen how description furnishes narration with the element of beauty ; we shall learn how exposition adds that of wisdom. One appeals to our imagination, to the picture-making power ; the other to the reflective side of our minds. Exposition deals with the forms and the mate¬rial which our minds naturally use in explaining the meaning of statements, or of general terms, proc¬esses, and methods. The motives of Exposition are therefore:

1. An abstract idea, or term—" Truth," "justice."

2.	A proposition or general reflection —"Art is long and time is fleeting."

3.	A general process or method—" The manufac¬ture of flour."

4. A class name—"Book," "house."

Exposition a Familiar Kind of Composition

Scientific and Literary Exposition

Expository Motives Combined in a Theme

The Material used in Exposition

Coherence in the Expository Paragraph

Unity and Emphasis in the Expository Paragraph

Types of the Expository Paragraph