Narrative theory notes

1. Narrative theory
Narrativeis defined as a chain of events in a courseeffect relationship
occurring in time (Bordwelland Thompson)
Narrativeis a way of organising spiritual and temporal events in a course-effect
chain of events with a middle, beginning and end that embodies a judgement
about the nature of events (Branigan)
Narrativetheory analyses the way in which media text communication about
events
Narrativetheory can be applied to a range of different media including film,
TV, photographs and magazines.
Narrativeanalysis based media is moreproblematic, though may still be
relevant. For example, you could consider how someone’s Facebook profile
creates a narrativeabout their life.
Theory
Branigan argues that narrative
Vladimir Propp (1928)
Russian theorist, read and studied folk stories from Russia and figured out that
there were recurring characters in there. There was enough of a link about
eight characters that came up again and again. They were ‘the hero’ and ‘the
villain’, ‘the donor’, ‘the helper’.
Tzvetan Todorov (1969)
1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption of the equilibrium
3. Recognition of the disruption
4. An attempt to repair the damage
5. New equilibrium

2. Roland Barthes (1960’s)
He recognised 5 codes.
1. Action code – which refers to events taking place through action
2. Referential code – which refers to information and explanation
3. Semantic coder – which refers to the characters and characterisation
4. Enigma code – which is a narrativedevice that teases the audience by
presenting a puzzlethat needs to be solved. Works to delay the film
ending pleasurably
5. Symbolcode – which refers to the connotations of signs.
Claude Levi-Strauss (1972)
 Social Anthropologist
 Examined how stories unconsciously reflectthe values, beliefs and
myths into a culture
 Usually expressed in the form of binary oppositions
Allan Cameron (2008)
Since the early 1990s therehas been a trend towards narrativecomplexity
within popular cinema.
Anachronic – modified flashbacks/flash forwards.No clear dominance between
narrativetrends
Forking path - alternative versions of the story
Episodic – a collection of stories joined by a common theme
Split screen – spatial rather than temporal lines
Postmodern narrative
Characters of postmodern narratives include:
 Irony, playfulnessand black humour
 Intertextuality
 Pastiche

3.  Metanarratives
 Extreme self-reflexivity/self- self-awareness
 Temporal distortion
 Hyper reality
Narrativeanalysis
 Involves considering how a rangeof elements including mise-en-scene,
editing, camera work, sound, as well as events, creating meaning for the
audience.
 Narrativeanalysis focuses on how the meanings made by the audience
are constructed.
THEORISTS EXAMPLE
Propp Taylor swift‘you belong with me’ – hero is swift
chasinga boy.Villain –the other girl.Prince– the
guy.
Todorov At the start they arejustflirtingthrough the window
from each other’s house but he is seeinganother girl
but shesees another boy duringa football game and
that’s how they startto get together. He dumps the
other one and gets with swiftwhich starts the new
equilibrium.
Barthes Action code is no one
Referential – is thathe is clear thatshe loves him
Levi Strauss