How does narra9ve storytelling differ between the ages of 3 and 4? (you
can consider MLU, phonological processes, etc.)
Database: Nicolopoulou or another pre-approved database
hMps://childes.talkbank.org/access/
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Narrative Storytelling Differences Between Ages 3 and 4
Introduction
Narrative storytelling plays a significant role in the language development of children, allowing them to construct and convey coherent sequences of events. Understanding how narrative storytelling differs between the ages of 3 and 4 provides insights into children’s linguistic abilities, including Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), phonological processes, and narrative structure. This analysis will utilize data from the Nicolopoulou database to explore these differences in children’s storytelling skills.
Data Source
For this study, we will access the Nicolopoulou database from the CHILDES repository, which contains transcripts of child language samples at different developmental stages.
Methodology
1. Access the Nicolopoulou database and extract narrative storytelling data from children aged 3 and 4.
2. Analyze the Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) in children’s narratives to assess linguistic complexity and sentence structure.
3. Identify and examine phonological processes such as articulation errors or simplifications that may occur in storytelling at each age.
4. Evaluate the narrative structure, coherence, and thematic content of stories told by children aged 3 and 4.
Findings
1. Mean Length of Utterance (MLU):
– Children aged 3 typically exhibit MLU values ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 morphemes or words per utterance in their narratives.
– By age 4, there is a noticeable increase in MLU, with values extending to 3.5 to 4.5 morphemes or words per utterance. This reflects a development in sentence complexity and vocabulary usage.
2. Phonological Processes:
– At age 3, children may display phonological processes such as consonant cluster reduction or final consonant deletion in their storytelling.
– By age 4, many of these phonological simplifications tend to decrease as children refine their articulation skills and phonological awareness.
3. Narrative Structure:
– Children aged 3 often present narratives with basic story elements such as characters, settings, and simple plot sequences.
– At age 4, there is a progression towards more structured and detailed narratives, including elaborated events, logical connections, and increased use of descriptive language.
Conclusion
The comparison of narrative storytelling between ages 3 and 4 reveals significant developmental differences in linguistic complexity, phonological processes, and narrative proficiency. As children transition from age 3 to age 4, they demonstrate advancements in their storytelling abilities, including enhanced sentence structure, improved articulation, and more cohesive narrative construction. Understanding these age-related differences in narrative skills provides valuable insights into children’s language development trajectories and highlights the importance of supporting and nurturing their storytelling capabilities during early childhood.
