Adam Bailey

Narrative theory

A method of deconstructing the narrative of a text in detail. Four different theorists in this field:

· Vladimir Propp

· Tzetan Todorov

· Claude Levi-Strauss

· Rolande Barthes

Vladimir Propp:

· Morphology of the fairy tale 1928.

· Studied folktales and legends.

· Notices similarities.

· Identified 32 basic categories of action.

· He called these ‘functions’.

· He also identified spheres of action or character functions.

· He noticed characters tended to be types rather than individuals.

· Eight of his types useful in media:

· The hero – On a quest.

· The villain – Opposes the hero

· The donor – Helps the hero with magic tool.

· The dispatcher – Starts the hero on his way.

· The false hero – Tempts the hero away from his quest.

· The helper – Helps the hero.

· The princess.

· The father.

· There are also many texts which do not conform to the Proppian Theory as there are that do.

· It maybe that the protagonist (hero) or antagonist (villain) cannot be considered a type.

· Or where the princess does not conform to the sexist function described by Propp e.g. Alien.

Claude Levi Strauss:

· A structural philosopher.

· Interested in how much our world is described in terms of opposites.

· These are called binary oppositions:

· Night/day.

· Good/bad.

· Light/dark.

Rolande Barthes:

· Interested in the concept of negotiated meaning between institution and audience.

· Readers make new meanings when reading a text based on previous experience as well as the text itself.

· While watching a docusoap about airlines meaning will depend on viewers previous experiences.

· The cultural context of consumption is as important as the content.

· He describes texts as networks long before the internet but having much the same meaning.

· Most well known Barthes code is enigma code.

· This is where there is a hook or mystery to be solved by the audience.

· The “Tune in next week” the cliff hanger or the film trailer.

Tzetan Todorov:

· Suggests there was five stages to every narrative:

· Equilibrium.

· Disruption of equilibrium by event.

· Realisation that disruption has happened.

· Attempt of repair damage from disruption.

· Restoration of equilibrium.

· Applies to fictional and non fictional texts.

· Adverts often use the structure as do news broadcasts.