Narrative is the medium of reconstructionism which adherents assume is essentially
transparent (Table 1.3, box 10). In evaluating good representations of sport history,
reconstructionists gauge the structure, unity and coherence of the narrative. They
place maximum emphasis on the narrative as a whole process and the way it informs
the structure of the story, although they also assess relationships between individual
statements and sources. Cross-examination of evidence involves interrogation of
language to ascertain the tone and accuracy of sources, and to clarify what particular
sources say and what they leave out. More specifically, interrogation entails questions
about word usage, figures of speech and stylistic cadence, and the way that these articulate ideas and sympathies (see Chapter 4).