RESEARCH INTO NARRATIVE

 NARRATIVE 

Narrative is the way information is delivered to the audience. The way in which a story is told in both fictional and non-fictional media texts. Traditionally, narrative structures followed a formula which was identified by the theorist Tzvetan Todorov. Todorov studied classic fairy tales and stories. He discovered that narratives moved forward in a chronological order with one action following after another. In other words, they have a clear beginning, middle and end. Todorov also suggested that the characters in the narrative would be changed in some way through the course of the story and that this would be evident by the resolution. Non-linear narratives and circular narratives have a structure that is not so straightforward. A non-linear narrative can move backwards and forwards in time usually using a flashback technique. This is used in the film 500 days (of Summer) which follows a relationship but we see flashforwards and flashbacks as the story progresses. A circular narrative may begin at the end of the story and work its way back to the origins of the narrative. Circular narratives are often only understood clearly by the audience at the end of a film. Most films in the Thriller genre include either the Linear structure or the open structure. The Linear structure is usually found in Action Thriller, Disaster Thrillers and Horror Thrillers and Open structures are mainly used in Psychological Thrillers and Horror Thrillers as both of these sub-genres like to leave the audience in a cliff-hanger or wanting to find out more information. 

There are 4 different types of narrative structures:

• Linear structure - Beginning (audience introduced to characters and story), Middle (events and story builds), End(closure). This is the most common narrative that most films follow. 
• Open structure - The audience are left to wonder what happens next and make sense of it themselves (e.g. “inception”)
• Closed structure - definite ending – clear conclusion for the audience 
• Circular structure - the narrative beings at the end events (often with the climax) the audience are taken on a journey arriving back where they started (e.g. pulp fiction). Beginning is the end. 

Narrative theorists 

Vladimir Propp:

Propp was a Russian critic and literary theorist, he analysed over 100 different Russian fairytales in the 1920's for him to try and understand the narrative they hold. He proposed that it was possible to classify the characters and their actions into clearly defined roles and functions. Films such as Star Wars fit Propp’s model precisely, but a significant number of more recent films such as pulp fiction don’t. Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story. He claimed characters could be classified into certain roles that progress a story.The model is useful, however as it highlights the similarities between seemingly quite different stories. Propp's model is based on the different character roles played throughout the films. 

Propp's Character Model:

• The Hero (seeks something)
• The Villain (opposes the hero and cause conflict)
• The Donor (helps the hero by providing a magic object)
• The Dispatcher (sends the hero on their way) 
• The False hero (falsely assuming the role of hero) 
• The Helper (gives support to the hero)
• The Princess (the reward for the hero, but also needs protection from the villain) 
• Her Father (her - the woman is usually the victim)

Tzvetan Todorov:

Todorov is a bugarian theorist, who suggests that most narratives start off with an "normal" equilibrium in which life is normal for the protagonist as they are happy and not stressed with up coming events. This "normal" equilibrium is disrupted by an outside force which as to be fought against in order to return to a state of the new "normal" equilibrium. This model is easily applied to a wide range of films. This model can easily be applied to a wide range of films

Equilibrium (normal) = Disequilibrium (displacing the normal) = New Equilibrium (new normal)

Roland Barthes:

Barthes is a French semioligst, who suggested that narrative works with five different codes which activate the reader to make sense of it. Also he used to the terms denotation and connotation to analyse images. His codes are in the following:

Barthes’ codes:

• Action – a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action e.g. a shoot-out
• Enigma – a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved. Works to delay the story’s ending pleasurably e.g. cliff hangers 
• Symbolic – connotation, a sign or a symbol 
• Semic – denotation 
• Cultural – a narrative device which the audience can recognise as being part of a culture e.g. a ‘made man’ in a gangster film is part of the mafia culture. 

Claude Levi-Strauss

Stress is a social anthropologist (study of people), who studies myths of tribal cultures. He examined how stored unconsiuly relict the values, belief and myths of a culture. There are usually expressed in the form of binary oppositions. His research has been adapted by media theorist to reveal underlying themes and symbolic oppositions in the media texts.

Binary oppositions: 

A conflict between two qualities or terms 

Zeitgeist – reflecting qualities of that specific time period

For example, 1970’s western films