Narrative Theory Summary

Claude Levi-Strauss’ Oppositions:

Levi-Strauss said that every element of a story had a pair within the same story, which is the direct opposite.

Some common examples are:
Good v evil
Male v female
Day v night

Within genres there are also stereotypical binary opposites, for example in romantic films there are often two males, one being the typically charming gentleman and the other a womaniser, who both want the same female.


Roland Barthes action/enigma codes:

Barthes decided that every film is made up of a narrative code that consists of action and enigma codes which are used to create suspense.

Enigma codes are the parts of the plot that raises questions in the viewer's mind, for example in 'Final Destination' the audience question why the plane is blown up at the beginning, when there is a whole film left to watch.

Action codes refer to the actions that lead to other actions that happen in the film, for example in 'Snakes On A Plane' we see the snakes being sprayed with something, leading to questions about what the spray will cause the snakes to do. Action codes create suspense.


Tzvetan Todorov’s narrative structure:

His theory states that every film has three stages:

1. The film starts in a state of equilibrium
2. The equilibrium is disrupted
3. A new equilibrium is created by the end of the film

There are then five stages that every film has five stages that the narrative goes through:

1. Equilibrium where everything is normal
2. Disruption of equilibrium
3. Recognition of the disruption and its consequences
4. An attempt to repair the disruption
5. The restoration of a new equilibrium

This theory creates a circular structure to the film, not a linear one. However the equilibrium reached at the end of the film isn't the same as the original equilibrium, it has been altered by the loss of a character for example.


Vladimir Propp's Character Types:

Propp identifies the main character types:

• The villain
• The hero - usually motivated by the lack of something (love, money etc.) and not always conventional
• The donor - provides something of value to the film
• The helper - aids the hero
• The princess - reward for the hero, object of villain's schemes &not always conventional
• "Her father" character - rewards the hero
• The dispatcher - sends the hero on their way
• The false hero