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What are the five levels of the Narrative Profundity Scale?
Quick answer:
The five levels of the Narrative Profundity Scale are Physical, Mental, Moral, Analogical, Philosophical, and Transformational. At the Physical level, readers understand basic facts. The Mental level involves understanding characters' thoughts. The Moral level includes evaluating right and wrong. The Analogical level connects the story to other narratives or real life. The Philosophical level derives themes, and the Transformational level applies lessons to the reader's life.
The Narrative Profundity Scale (by Jeff Beal, Elaine Weber, and Barbara Nelson) is a tool to use to measure the reader’s understanding of a story.
On the Physical Level: The reader only understands what the characters are doing. It is their actions within a setting that are identified.
On the Mental Level: The reader understands what the characters are doing and thinking. This may or may not be explicitly stated in the story.
On the Moral Level: The reader can make judgments about what the characters are doing and thinking. Is this the right thing to do? Is it wrong?
On the Analogical Level: The reader makes analogies or parallels, comparing the story elements to other stories he/she has read.
On the Philosophical Level: The reader draws a life lesson from the story. What elements can help him/her apply to his/her own life?
On the Transformational Level: The reader’s life is changed by what he/she has read. Knowledge is expanded, or judgment is improved.
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