Barthes 5 narrative codes

1. Barthes 5 Narrative
Codes
By Rachael Branker

2. An Introduction
• It has been suggested by Barthes that in reading a text, the importance is not
in the interpretation of the content but rather, in the appreciation of the
different elements which makes the story. Barthes presented 5 codes which
may be used .

3. The 5 codes
• Hermeneutic / enigma code – The Hermeneutic Code refers to any element of the story
that is not fully explained and hence becomes a mystery to the reader.
• Proairetic /action code –The Proairetic Code builds tension, referring to any other action or
event that indicates something else is going to happen, and which hence gets the reader
guessing as to what will happen next.
• Semantic code – This code refers to connotation within the story that gives additional
meaning over the basic denotative meaning of the word.
• Symbolic code-This is very similar to the Semantic Code, but acts at a wider level, organizing
semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meaning
• Referential code-This code refers to anything that is founded on some kind of canonical
works that cannot be challenged and is assumed to be a foundation for truth

4. The Enigma and Proairetic Codes
• The Enigma Code is used in the building up of anticipation which is not directly
answered but left to the audience to decide on their thoughts on the storyline. The
Proairetic code is similar but gives an indication that something else may happen.
• In using this in media, this is often seen as attractive because there is an element of
‘drawing in’ of the audience. To many, the storyline may be evocative of events in
their life and in engaging, it may produce more interest. It would be fair to argue
that the context of a soap opera fits logically with the enigma code and it is this
which maybe accounts for the success of some which have run for 30 years or
more.

5. The Semantic Code
• The semantic code is one which to a large extent simplifies a storyline as, by using
connotation, the reader is able to deduce that a course of action may follow. The author
uses deeper meanings through the use of less text.
• Whilst this approach is successful in many forms of media, It is arguable as to how
successfully this may be used in a soap opera setting and this is due to two considerations:
1. A connotation may vary between readers and may need an element of clarification to
make it the same for both. The use of deeper meaning is not directly in line with the idea
if a soap opera.
2. In using connotation as a lead tool, this might narrow the audience potential to people
who in general think in a similar way.

6. Symbolic Code
• The symbolic code is very similar to the semantic code.Whilst the semantic
code is related directly to the use of connotation, the symbolic code uses the
tool of creating new meaning out of opposing or conflicting ideas. This can
be seen as a complicated process.
• Whilst this process may be seen as difficult, it can be seen as effective in its
use to develop characters in a text by emphasising the differences between
them to the reader. It is a tool often used by the writers of soap operas over
a period of time to build the importance of different characters in a given
storyline.

7. Referential Code
• The referential code refers to anything in the code that has an existing
accepted meaning. This may be scientific, historical, sociological or in any
accepted area.
• It may be argued that many forms of modern media include an element of
referential coding as it is this that leads to a loyal audience as they recognise
their own lives in the text.

8. Representation of the audience
• In looking at Barthes theory of Codes, it may be seen how he developed his idea of the
audience as active. In looking at each piece of media as made up of semiotics (pieces) which
may fit together in different ways (structuralism), the audience is able to create different
meanings from the same story.
• This is very much in keeping with modern day approaches in which there are very clear
accepted principals but there are stimulus used to encourage free thought amongst the
audience. This is sometimes controversial.
• The representation of the audience has been explored by many theorists such as Stuart Hall
and Laura Mulvey. Whilst they are very different in their focus, they are similar in the way
that they recognize how a writer may embed ideas into a text and an audience may pull their
own ideas from this.