This document discusses several narrative theories: - Narrative is how a story is told through a sequence of events, while the plot is the order characters learn about events. - Barthes identified narrative codes like action and enigma that help audiences understand media texts. - Levi-Strauss said narratives are propelled by conflicts that must be resolved. - Todorov outlined a typical narrative form of equilibrium, disruption, recognition, attempt to repair, new equilibrium. - Propp identified 31 narrative functions and 7 character types that commonly appear in stories, influencing many storytellers.

1. Narrative Theory

2. - Narrative: A narrative is the relation
between series of events it is the way the
story is told.
- Story: The story is the strict chronological
order in which the events occur.
- Plot: Plot is the order in which the
characters find out about these event.

3. Barthe’s Narrative Codes
Ronaldo Barthe thought that media texts are constructed using a
series of codes. These codes helps the audience understand what
is going on.
- Action Code: When we see an action in text and we
anticipate what the consequence will follow .e.g. Dirty Ol’
‘Arry.
- Enigma Code: When we encounter plot elements that raise
questions on the part of the reader of a text .e.g. Vinny and
Jules.

4. Claude
Claude Levi-Strauss thought, that the constant creation of
conflict/opposition propels narrative and narrative can only end
on a resolution of conflict.
- ™Opposition can be visual .e.g. light/darkness,
movement/stillness.
- ™Or conceptual .e.g. love/hate, control/panic, and to do with
soundtrack.

5. Todorov
Tzvetan Todorov stated that narratives follow a typical form of
equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.
1. A state of equilibrium (all is as it should be)
2. A disruption of that order by an event
3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

6. Vladimir Propp
Zdravstvuj, menya zovut Vladimir Propp found that there are 31
broad narrative functions and 7 broad character types. 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.

7. Propp’s Character Types
1. The villain — struggles against the hero.
2. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
3. The (magical) helper — helps the hero in the quest.
4. The princess and her father — gives the task to the hero, identifies the
false hero, marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. Propp
noted that functionally, the princess and the father can not be clearly
distinguished.
5. The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the
hero off.
6. The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the
princess.
7. [False hero] — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the
princess