Narrative Theory

1. Narrative theory
Narrativetheory analyses the way in which media text communicate meaning
about events.it can be applied in different ways such as magazines, TV, film
and photography’s.
Theorist Key Words
Propp He wasa Russiantheoristwhosuggests thatthere are a
limitednumberof charactertypesthat share a function.The
audience readsthe mediatextitdeploysknowledge of
these charactertypesinorder to decode meaningof text.
Film:E.g.Shrek
1. The villain
2. The hero, or character whoseekssomething
3. The donor, whoprovidesanobjectwithsome magic
property.
4. The helper,whoaidsthe hero.
5. The princess,rewardforthe hero,an objectof the
villainsschemes(canbe male)
6. Her father,who rewardsthe hero.
7. The dispatcher, whosendsthe heroon hisway.
8. The false hero,the character whoalso laysclaimto
the princessbutis unsuitableandcauses
complications.
Todorov  Bulgarianliterarytheorist.
 Suggestsmostnarrativesstartwitha state of
equilibriuminwhichlife is‘normal’and protagonists
are happy.
 Thismodel can easilybe appliedtoa wide range of
fairytales,folklore,fictiontextsandfilms.
 Equilibrium>disequilibrium>resolution(new
equilibrium)
Barthes  RolandBarthesnarrative theoryclaimsthata
narrative can be brokendownintofive codesorset
of rulestohelpthe readermake scene of it:
1. Action code whichrefersto the
eventstakingplace through
actione.g.fightor a chase.
2. Referential code whichrefersto
informationandexplanation.
3. Semantic code whichrefersto
characters andcharacterisation.
4. Enigma code whichisa narrative
device thatteasesthe audience
by presentingapuzzle orriddle
to be solved.Workstodelaythe
story’s endingpleasurably.
5. Symboliccode whichrefersto

2. the connotationof signs.
Levi-Strauss Came up withthe term binary oppositions.
In all storiesthere isagood and a bad.
 The Good:Christian,domestic,weak
princess,prettyandinnocent
 The Bad: pagan, savage,dark
wildernessforests,uglyanddevious.