To broaden your understanding of this chapter, consider the following assignments related to the Internet.

1. The chapter mentions that Fisher saw the Narrative Paradigm as a paradigm shift. It may not be clear to you exactly what he meant by this. Go online, find a definition of paradigm shift and apply it to Fisher's approach. Can the Narrative Paradigm be seen as a shift? From what does the shift depart, and toward what does it point us?

2. The chapter doesn't mention how (or if) the Narrative Paradigm applies to computer-mediated communication (CMC). Find a site that deals with this question (try www.acjournal.org/holdings/vol1/Iss2/editorials/rose/rose.htm) and/or after surfing the Net, formulate your own opinion about whether narrative rationality applies to CMC. Is visual communication "a story"? Does online chat create "narratives"?