Creating a story world is a narrative technique often used by authors to help place the reader in the world of the literary work. Detailing story worlds is a crucial part of most literary works because it not only helps the reader visualize whatever they are reading, but also allows the author to build a mood surrounding the story. In the nonfiction work "After Life" by Joan Didion, Didion uses the storyworld narrative technique by constructing ordinary story worlds to juxtapose with non-ordinary situations, and in so doing demonstrating that life can have unexpected twists of events that it can be difficult to understand. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay By creating a narrative world composed of “ordinary snapshot[s]” (4), Didion is able to show how she was unable to understand the surrealism of something unexpected happening in an expected situation. He says: “it was, in fact, the ordinary nature of everything preceding the event that prevented me from truly believing that it had happened…” (4). In this quote, Didion says that she was unable to understand her husband's death because of how familiar the environment she was in was. She describes the environment as “home…[where] we were safe all night” (7). The fact that Didian builds this narrative world as an ordinary house with ordinary activities like sitting by the fire, and she juxtaposes this with the unexpected event of her husband going into cardiac arrest. Multiple times throughout the article, Didian details her surroundings, from the hospital room to the bedroom she once shared with her husband. The way he builds the historical worlds of these different scenarios gives the impression of ordinary scenes that most people have probably experienced. By creating this type of familiar story world, where most readers would be able to resonate with their surroundings, Didian is able to express to readers the shock felt at having experienced a surprising event. To further his thesis, Didian also describes the narrative worlds of 9/11, explaining that when 9/11 happened, residents described the narrative world as a “beautiful ordinary September day” (6). This shows that even in a familiar environment, people are subject to unexpected twists and turns, which can leave them “stunned” (6). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Personalize essayDidian concludes her narrative by painting the story world of an ordinary scene that was familiar to her which was "the house... where [they] had lived when [they] first got married" (16). She describes the "stream of clear waters" in which she and her husband used to swim. After creating that family environment, she concludes by saying that she anticipated "slipping into the sea around [her and her husband]", and that she "did not foresee a cardiac arrest at the dinner table" (16), which shows that when one is accustomed to a familiar environment, there is no fear of unexpected events happening. However, when unexpected events occur, it can be shocking to those affected.