Roland Barthes and other narrative theorists explored how narratives are structured. Barthes suggested texts can be open or closed, and identified codes like enigma, action, symbolic, and referential. Claude Levi-Strauss studied myths and found narratives are arranged around binary opposites like good vs evil. Vladimir Propp identified character types that recur in narratives, like villains, dispatchers, helpers, and princesses. Tzvetan Todorov proposed most plots follow a pattern of equilibrium, disruption, realization, attempted restoration, and restored equilibrium. These theories provide tools for understanding narrative structures and archetypes.

1. NARRATIVE
THEORISTS

2. Roland Barthes
• Barthes suggested that texts can be open (unravelled like
a ball of string) or closed (there is only one thread to pull
on).
• He suggested that these codes were;
1. Enigma code: the mystery within a text. Clues are
dropped but no clear answers are given. Make
audience frustrated as they want to find out what it is.
2. Action code: contains sequential elements of action in a
text, adding suspense.
3. Symbolic: the greater meaning of the text
4. Referential: anything in the text that refers to an
external body of knowledge e.g. scientific, historical,
cultural knowledge.

3. Claude Levi Strauss
Studied hundreds of myths/legends from around the world,
and discovered that humans make sense of the world by
using binary opposites, and that narratives are arranged
around the conflict of them.
Barthes and Strauss came together and realised that words
“simply act as symbols for society’s ideas” and that the
meaning of words was a relationship, not a single, fixed
thing.
EXAMPLES: good vs evil, black vs white, boy vs girl, peace
vs war, democracy vs dictatorship

4. Vladimir Propp
• Propp suggested that every narrative has 8 different character types
1. The villain – antagonist
2. The dispatcher – character who makes villain’s evil known and
sends the hero off
3. The helper – helps the hero, like a sidekick
4. The princess/prize – hero usually deserves her in the story but is
unable to have her, usually because of the villain’s antics; hero’s
journey finishes when he marries princess e.g. “happily ever after”
5. Her father – gives the task to the hero
6. The donor – prepares the hero, gives the hero an object e.g. Q in
James Bond
7. The hero or victim – reacts to the donor
8. False hero – takes credit of hero’s actions and tries to marry
princess e.g. Prince Charming, Shrek

5. Tzvetan Todorov
• Most plotlines follow the same pattern/path.
1. Equilibrium; everything is fine
2. A disruption; something happens to stir everything up
3. Realisation; everyone realises there is an issue
4. Restored order; character attempts to fix the problem
5. Equilibrium; it is restored

6. What can I apply?
• I can a few of these theories to my idea. The idea of
binary opposition shows here, with the love/hate side of a
broken relationship. However I cannot use it as the couple
will be a same-sex relationship, making it woman/woman.
Adhering to these stereotypes will make it more
interesting to watch as it isn’t following normal codes and
conventions.
• We also follow some of Todorov’s theory. However, ours
starts more on a disequilibrium and then restores itself at
the end.