Narrative Theory

By Harry Lee

What is Narrative?
Refers to the way the films
story is structured the way in
which events are ordered and
revealed.

Roland Barthes Enigma Code

The Hermeneutic Code (HER)
-The Hermeneutic Code refers to any
element of the story that is not fully
explained and hence becomes a mystery
to the reader.
-The full truth is often avoided, for
example in:
Snares: deliberately avoiding the truth.
Equivocations: partial or incomplete
answers.
Jammings: openly acknowledge that
there is no answer to a problem.
-The purpose of the author in this is
typically to keep the audience guessing,
arresting the enigma, until the final
scenes when all is revealed and all loose
ends are tied off and closure is achieved.

Todorov's Narrative Structure

Todorov thinks that most
storys or plot lines
follow the same pattern
or path.
There are 5 stages in
this pattern:

Todorov proposed a basic

structure for all narratives, he
stated that films and
programmes begin with an
equilibrium, this is where the
story is at its most calm
period, then agents of
disruption causes
disequilibrium, this is where
the story is at an unsettling
and disquiet period. This is
then follow by a renewed
state of peace and harmony
for the protagonists and a
new equilibrium brings brings

Example of Todorovs Theory

Film: Jennifers body
1.Equilibrium- Jennifer and Needy are two high school
teenagers, Jennifer is the attractive girl who gets all the boys.
Needy is the girl who is classed as a nerd.
2.Disruption of the equilibrium Jennifer gets goes away
with other boys, returns but has turned into a
succubus(demon).
3 .Recognition of the disruption Jennifer starts to kill all
the boys at her and Needys high school, after killing all of
them, she starts to hunt Chip (Needys boyfriend).
4. Repairing the damage caused by disruption - Needy
tries to stop Jennifer from killing her boyfriend.
5. New equilibrium - Needy has created problems for herself
as she fails to save her boyfriend and ends up in a mental
institution due to no one believing her about Jennifer being a

Propps character types and

narrative functions
Vladimir Propp studied
hundred of folktales and
found they contained 8
character types and 31
functions that move the story
along.
The 31 functions include events
such as :
-The hero is prohibited from
doing something
-The villain learns something
about the victim
-The villain is punished
-The hero is awarded for his
actions (Depending on what
type of film it is)
-Etc

Example of Propps Theory

Film: Horns
Character Type

Person in the film

Hero

Ig Perrish

Villain

Lee Tourneau

Donor

Dale Williams

Helper

Glenna Shepherd

Princess

Merrin Williams

Princess Father

Dale Williams

Dispatcher

n/a

False hero

Terry Perish

Levi-Strauss Binary
Oppositions
Levi-Strauss suggested that binary
oppositions are key to the meaning
making in narrative - he argued the
constant creation of conflict and
opposition narrative, and that narrative
can only end on a resolution of conflict.
Note:
It is important to note that we
judge one half of each binary
opposition in a more negative
way. There the meanings of the
binaries are ideological as they
are culturally constructed.