Narrative theory

1. Narrative Theory
Examples of narrative music videos:
Coldplay-Scientist
Foo Fighters- Learntofly
Definitions of narrative
Narrative isdefinedas‘achainof eventsinacause effectrelationshipoccurringintime’(Bordwell
and Thompson)
Narrative is ‘a wayof organisingspatial andtemporal eventsintoacause effectchainof eventswith
a beginning,middle andendthatembodiesajudgementaboutthe nature of events’(Branigan)
Edward Branigan (1992)
Braniganarguesthat narrative is‘a way of organisingspatial andtemporal eventsintoacause effect
chainof eventswithabeginning,middle andendthatembodiesajudgementaboutthe nature of
events’
Branigan’skeypointisthat the narrative will embodyajudgement-ideologyandnarrative
Vladimir Propp (1928)
Proppwas a Russiantheoristwhosuggestthatthere are a limitednumberof charactertypesthat
share a function
Whenan audience readsamediatextitdeploysitsknowledge of thesecharactertypesinorderto
decode the meaningof the text
1: The villain
2: The hero,or character whoseekssomething
3: The donor,whoprovidesanobjectwithsome magicproperty
4: The helper,who aidsthe hero
5: The princess,rewardforthe hero,and objectof the villainsschemes(canbe male)
6: Her father, whorewardsthe hero
7: The dispatcher,whosendsthe heroonhisway
8: The false hero,the characterwho alsolaysclaimto the princessbutisunsuitable andcauses
complications
Tzvetan Todorov (1969)
1) Equilibrium
2) Disruptionof the equilibrium
3) Recognitionof the disruption
4) An attempttorepairthe damage
5) Newequilibrium

2. Roland Barthes (1969)
RolandBarthesnarrative theoryclaimsthata narrative can be broken downintofive codesorsetsof
rulesto helpthe readermake sense of it
He emphasisesthe active role of readersincreatingmeaning,andtheir‘culturallyformed
expectations’
The 5 codes:
1) Action code
2) Referential code whichreferstothe informationandexplanation EG:If there is a full moon
thenthere will be wolves
3) Semanticcode whichreferstothe characters and characterisation
4) Enigma code whichis a narrative device thatteasesthe audiencebypresentingapuzzle or
riddle tonbe solved.Workstodelaythe story’sendingpleasurably
5) Symboliccode whichrefersto the connotationsof signs
Claude Levi Strauss (1972)
Binaryoppositesisaconflictbetweentwoqualitiesorterms
For example infairytales:
The good The bad
Christian(KingsQueensetc) Pagan (Witches)
Domestic Savage
Weakprincesses Strongwrong doers
Safe castles Dark wildernessforests
Allan Cameron: Modular narratives (2008)
Since the early1990s there has beena trendtowardsnarrative complexitywithinpopularcinema
Anachronic:
Modifiedflashbacks/flash-forwards
Forking path:
Alternativeversionsof the story
Outcomesthatmightresultfromslightchanges
Episodic:
Collectionof storiesjoinedbyacommontheme
Splitscreen:
Spatial ratherthan temporal lines

3. For example:TaylorSwift-Youbelongwithme
Todorov
Equilibriumbysendingnotes throughwindows
Disruptionbyboygoingoutwithothergirl
Newequilibriumwhenboyendsupwithgoodgirl
Levi Strauss
Sport andReading
Nerdand cheerleader
Barthes
Action-Viewersare expectedtoconnectdifferentpiecesof narrative
Enigma- Will the jockand the geekgettogether?
Semanic-Glasses,book,notepads,redcar,uniforms