Narrative Theory

What is a narrative?
Narrative is the way the story is organised.

Elements of Narrative:

• Time - What period of time does it cover? Flashbacks?
• Closure - A particular way of ending so that the audience leave the cinema pleased and satisfied - No cliff hangers!
• Enigma- The problems created 

In Real life we have lots of problems unfortunately we don't always end up with closure. e.g Breaking up? However media texts seem to have closure. For example CSI  where at the end all the problems/ mystery is solved.

A Classical Hollywood Narratives usually are:

1. Linear (in chronological order: beginning, middle and end)
2. Few , if any, sub-plots
3. Tendency towards closure 

Not all movies are linear, there are also non-linear movies. For example "Memento" this movie ends where it started. Another movie is "Pulp Fiction" which is an extreme postmodern movie, the narrative of this movie is complex as it is all over the place.

Theories of Narrative:

1) Tzvetan Todorov - A Bulgarian Theorist

• Equilibrium -"Everything is fine"
• Disruption- "Something interrupts/ Enigma is introduced"
• Resolution - Solving the enigmas
• New Equilibrium -Characters have moved on and new story...

A good example of this is seen in the movie "Outlaw Josey Wales"

The Equilibrium is  "Ploughing the fields with a happy family"
The Disruption is the "army of horses and houses on fire"
The Enigma is "Who are these people? Where has the wife gone> and Why did they take her?"

2) Roland Barthes
Barthes described all texts as complex "bundles" of unravelled to create a whole range of different meanings. (Different interpretations)

According to Barthes texts can be:
-OPEN: with numerous 'threads to pull'
-CLOSED:  with only one obvious thread to grasp

Texts that can be read in a number of ways are known as POLYSEMIC texts. "Can it be read in different of ways?"

These 'threads that Barthes referred to are known as 'narrative codes'.
The most significant of these codes is the enigma codes.This is constructed to attract and hold the attention of the audience normally by creating a mystery or puzzle that the audience want to see solved. (A problem is created to be be solved by introducing disruption phase. The Enigma code is usually introduced in the disruption phase of Todorov's model. Enigma codes are designed to attract and hold the audience's attention. For example the use of these is Reality shows such as X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Big Brother. Before announcing the winner or results there is often the two mins break or straight cut to adverts or camera shots on faces which causes mystery.

3) Vladimir Propp
"All stories have only 8 characters"

-Analysed Folk Stories
-Identified 8 Character roles in these stories.

These are the 8 identified Characters by 'Propp':

1. The Hero
2. The Villain
3. The Donor (Provider)
4. The Helper
5. The Father
6. The Dispatcher
7. The Princess
8. The False Hero.

Propp argued that the characters could fulfill more than one of these roles and there can be more than one of each character type.

THE THREE ACT STRUCTURE:

In Hollywood films, the narrative tends to be organised in what is called a "three act structure". The writer 'Sid Field' (also known as the 'SCRIPT-GURU') has identified what he calls the 'ideal Paradigm three act structure. (All structured in a movie)

1) The Set up
In this structure, a film must be set within the first twenty minutes before the main character or protagonist experiences a 'plot point' that gives him or her a goal that must be achieved.

2) The Confrontation 
Approximately half of the movie's running time must then be taken up with character's struggle to archive his/her goal: this is the 'confrontation' period. - Adventures?

Field also refers, sometimes to the 'Midpoint' a more subtle turning that happens in Act 2- the confrontation which often has an apparently devastating reversal of the main character's fortune. (e.g The hero gets captured but he escapes)

3) The Climax
The final quarter of the film (the third act) depicts a climatic struggle by the protagonist to finally achieve(or not achieve) his or her goal and the aftermath of this struggle. (The Hero takes in the villain)

Levi-Strauss
Levi-Strauss and Binary Oppositions 
Levi-Strauss argued that a structure of narratives was a dependence on binary oppositions. A conflict between two qualities or terms. (This could be seen in a Romantic Comedy - it is set up most of the time in movies). These binary oppositions can form basis of narratives. E.g Young vs Old, Women vs Men, Rich vs Poor and vice versa.

For Example: 'GENDER' - Narratives can be organised through binary oppositions of gender stereotypes.

Binary Oppositions (Levi- Strauss): Constructions of gender roles in narratives lead to a series of binary oppositions. 'Dominant vs. Subordinate'

DOMINANT (Powerful):

• Male
• White
• Middles Class
• Middle aged
• Heterosexual 
• Able-bodied

SUBORDINATE (Less Powerful):

• Female
• Other ethnic groups
• Working class
• The young, The old
• Homosexual, Bisexual
• Disabled.