One of the first and most important components of a narrative analysis, a detailed description of the narrative's plot or lack thereof outlines the basic story or structure of the narrative. In summarizing the story of the narrative, a plot explanation provides a backdrop against which one can view the characters, events and references of the narrative. To properly explain the plot, a narrative analysis must identify significant themes and significant events in the narrative as well as how and why those themes and events are important to the narrative.
Related to but distinct from an explanation of the plot in a narrative analysis, a proper sequence of events pieces together and explains the linearity or absence of linearity in the story. That is, it explains what events happen first, second, third and so on. In so doing, the sequence of events indicates how the significant themes are developed over the timeline of the narrative, where in the timeline significant events occur and what events precede and follow those events.
Once a narrative analysis has adequately summarized the plot and sequenced the events in the plot, it must then detail and describe the characters or agents of the narrative. Characters or agents represent those people or things that either motivate or cause the events of the narrative or those people or things the events affect and change over the course of the narrative. By describing the characters, the analysis indicates the affecting or affected elements of the narrative in addition to providing motivation to the reader to continue reading the story.
Though references and analysis of historical and cultural references within a narrative are not necessary components of all narrative analyses, such an analysis certainly provides further information that can elucidate significant components of the narrative. For example, a narrative analysis of Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the Life of ... An American Slave" that provided historical information about the living conditions of black slaves could provide significant background information that would help readers understand some of the events that Douglass experienced as well as some of the people with whom he interacted.