CATEGORIES FOR STORYTELLING. AN ANALYSIS OF THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

Abstract

Membership Categorization Analysis is usually used to analyze news texts and ordinary conversations. However, it can show how the methodic use of membership categories is a fundamental property of the narrative texts. In this short essay, I want to show how the membership categories selected to describe the characters of a short story are selected in a methodic way and how their methodic use achieves the moral message of the story. I show my hypothesis with the analysis of an evangelical short story: The Parable of the Good Samaritan. 

Keywords: membership categories; Harvey Sacks; narration; moral message; evangelical parables.