1. What is a narrative?
• Narrative is the media term for story
telling. Narrative is the way the different elements in a
story are organised to make a meaningful story. Some
of these elements can be facts as in a documentary, or
characters and action as in a drama
2. What are the types of stories?
In Christopher Booker’s, the seven basic plots: Why we tell stories
• The seven plots are:
1. Overcoming the monster
2. Rags to riches
3. The quest
4. Voyage and return
5. Comedy
6. Tragedy
7. Rebirth
3. Todorov’s theory of narrative
• Tzvetan Todorov's narrative theory suggests that all narratives follow
a three part structure where they begin with equilibrium, where
everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt
that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is
restored.
These are the steps for all traditional stories:
1. Equilibrium (everything is as it should be)
2. Disruption (by an event)
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempts to repair disruption
5. Return to equilibrium
4. Who is Vladimir Propp?
• Vladimir Propp was a literary critic and a scholar who
founded the idea that a certain type of character was
to be used in every narrative structure. His theory has
influenced many film makers to writing and producing
successful narratives. Propp also suggested that all
fairy tales follow a specific narrative structure.
5. Vladimir Propp’s character theory
• Propp suggested that every narrative has eight different character types, these character types are:
• The villain – fights the hero
• The dispatcher – character who makes the villain’s evil known and sends the hero off
• The (magical) helper – helps the hero in the quest
• The princess or prize – the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an
unfair evil, usually because of the villain. The hero’s journey is often ended when he marries the princess,
thereby beating the villain and resulting in a “happily ever after”
• Her father – gives the task to the hero. Identifies the false hero, and marries the hero, often sought for
during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father cannot be clearly
distinguished.
• The donor - prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object
• The hero or victim/ seeker hero – reacts to the donor, weds the princess
• False hero – takes credit for the hero’s actions or tried to marry the princess
6. Barthes’ codes
• Barthes suggest that there will be one or more of the 5 codes that describe the
meaning of a text
• Barthes said that texts may be ‘open’ (unravelled in a lot of different ways) or
‘closed’ (there is only one obvious thread to pull on)
• The five codes:
1. Hermeneutic/ Enigma code
2. Proairetic/action code
3. Semantic code
4. Symbolic code
5. Referential code
7. Hermeneutic/Enigma code
• The code refers to mystery within a text clues are
dropped, but no clear answers are given
• Enigmas within the narrative make the audience want
to know more
• Unanswered enigmas tend to frustrate the audience
8. Proairetic/Action
• This code contains sequential elements of action in
the text
• Proairetic elements add suspense to the text
9. Semantic code
• This code refers to parts within the text that suggest or refers to
additional meanings.
• Elements of the semantic code are called Semes
• The seme has a connotative function in the text. It has an extra layer
of meaning in addition to its literal meaning
10. Symbolic code
• This code is about symbolism within the text.
• It exercises opposites to show contrast and create
greater meaning, creating tension, drama and
character development
11. Referential code
• This code refers to anything in the text which refers to
an external body of knowledge such as scientific,
historical and cultural knowledge.
