Narrative theory analyzes how media texts communicate meaning through stories. A narrative is defined as a chain of events with a beginning, middle, and end that follows a cause-and-effect relationship. Narrative theorists like Branigan and Propp analyzed how narratives embody ideologies and include character archetypes. Barthes identified five codes that help readers make sense of narratives, including action, referential, symbolic, and enigma codes. Levi-Strauss examined how stories reflect a culture's values through binary oppositions. Postmodern narratives are characterized by nonlinearity, self-reflexivity, and pastiche.

1. SECTION A – Narrative Theory
Question 1B
Definitions
o Narrative is defined as “a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship
occurring in time”
o Narrative is ‘a way of organising spatial and temporal events into a cause-
effect chain of events with a beginning, a middle and end that embodies a
judgement about the nature of events.
o Narrative theory analyses the way in which media texts communicate meaning about
events.
o Narrative theory can be applied to range of different media including film, TV.
Photographs, and magazines.
o Narrative analysis of internet based media is more problematic, though may still be
relevant. For example, you could consider how someone’s Facebook profile creates
a narrative about their life.
Edward Branigan (1992)
o Branigan argues that narrative is ‘a way of organising spatial and temporal data
into a cause-effect chain of events with a beginning, a middle and end that
embodies a judgement about the nature of events.’
o Branigan’s key point is that the narrative will embody a judgement – ideology and
narrative.

2. SECTION A – Narrative Theory
Question 1B
Vladimir Propp (1928)
o Propp was a Russian theorist who suggests that there are a limited number of
character types that share a function.
o When an audience reads a media text it deploys its knowledge of these character
types in order to decode the meaning of the text.
o 1. The villain
o 2. The hero, or character who seeks something
o 3. The donor, who prov ides an object with some magic property .
o 4. The helper, who aids the hero.
o 5. The princess, reward f or the hero, and object of the v illain’s schemes (can be male)
o 6. Her father, who rewards the hero.
o 7. The dispatcher, who sends the hero on his way .
o 8. The false hero, the character who also lay s claim to the princess but is unsuitable and causes complications.
Tzvetan Todorov (1969)

3. SECTION A – Narrative Theory
Roland Barthes (1960s)
o Roland Barthes' narrativ e theory claims that a narrativ e can be broken down into f iv e codes or sets of rules to help the reader
make sense of it.
o He emphasises the activ e role of readers in creating meaning, and their ‘culturally f ormed expectations’.
The 5 codes:
o Action code which ref ers to the ev ents taking place through action e.g. a f ight or a chase
o Referential code which ref ers to the inf ormation and explanation
o Semantic code which ref ers to the characters and characterisation
o Enigma code which is a narrativ e dev ice that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solv ed. Works to delay
the story ’s ending pleasurably .
o Symbolic code which ref ers to the connotations of signs
Claude Levi-Strauss (1972)
o Social Anthropologist.
o Studied my ths of tribal cultures.
o Examined how stories unconsciously ref lect the v alues, belief s and my ths of a culture.
o These are usually expressed in the f orm of binary oppositions.
o His research has been adapted by theorists to rev eal underly ing themes and sy mbolic oppositions in texts.
o A conf lict between two qualities or terms.
o For example in f airy tales:
The Good The Bad
Christian (kings queens etc) pagan (witches)
Domestic savage
Weak princesses strong wrong doers
Safe castles dark wilderness forests
Pretty ugly
Innocent devious

4. SECTION A – Narrative Theory
Allan Cameron: Modular Narratives (2008)
Since the early 1990s there has been a trend towards narrative complexity within
Popular cinema.
Anachronic:
Modified flashbacks/flashforwards
No clear dominance between narrative threads
Forking-Path
Alternative versions ofthe story
Outcomes thatmightresultfrom slightchanges
Episodic
Collection ofstories joined bya common theme
Split Screen
Spatial rather than temporal lines
Post Narratives
o Some theorists suggest that postmodern narratives are different from previous
narrative structures.
o Characteristics of postmodern narratives include:
o Irony, playfulness, and black humour
o Intertextuality
o Pastiche
o Metanarratives
o Extreme self-reflexivity/self-awareness
o Temporal distortion
o Hyperreality

5. SECTION A – Narrative Theory
Postmodern Approach – Pastiche
o Frederic Jameson argues that postmodern texts are characterised by pastiche.
o A pastiche is an imitation of another genre or text.
o Jameson argues that "Pastiche is...the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic
style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language.”
o Linda Hutcheon disagrees with this view arguing that postmodern texts use pastiche in a
knowing way acknowledging the constructed nature of representation.
o Does the cliched nature of the video act as a critique of the values it promotes?
Narrative Analysis
o Narrative analysis involves considering how a range of elements (including mise-en-scene,
editing, camerawork, sound, as well as events) create meaning for the audience.
o Narrative analysis focuses on how the meanings made by the audience are constructed?
o How useful is this approach?
0

6. SECTION A – Narrative Theory