A narrative essay

What is it? Can it be just a story with a meaning or does it have to be an essay with dialogue about some formal event or person or point you’re trying to prove? (like a normal essay would) Explain plz…

As far as I know, a narrative essay is just an essay told by a seperate narrator, rather than the first person perspective. It’s just a different way of telling the story.

I’m pretty sure you can do it in first or third person. I was just wondering if it differed from a real essay, meaning can you just tell a story (let’s call this informal) or do you have to prove a point and have a regular structured MLA format essay (let’s call this formal). But apparently it’s just the telling of a story with a thesis, body, and conclusion and such. But I’m still not sure…