Narrative Theory

Narrative- how is the story being told?

explores the conventions of:

• Genre
• Character
• Form
• Time

Linear structure

• Beginning

Audience introducred to the characters and the initial story.

• middle

Events occur and the story builds. 

•  end

closure.

open structure

the audience are left to wonder what happens next time and make sense of it themselves. An example of an open structure film is inception. 

Closed structure

Definite ending- clear conclusion for the audience.

Circular structure

The narrative begins at the end events (often with the climax) the audience are taken on a journey arriving back where they started. An example of this is pulp fiction.

Narrative theorists

Propp- Narrative driven by characters mostly, heroes and villains. 

Barthes- Narritive was created by a series of codes- these codes are: action codes, enigma, semic, symbolic and cultural.

Todarov- Narrative goes from a state of equilibrium back to an altered sense of equilibrium.
Levi- Strauss- describes narrative theory as a conflict between binary opposition. Focusing on binary opposites to emphasies the roles.