Narrative InvestigationKat Scott

What is narrative?

Narrative is the way in which a story is told and presented to an audience.

There different structures of narrative such as linear and circular.

Linear: A linear narrative structure means there is a clear beginning, middle and end. Aristotle identified the basic linear line and saw how the middle section may involve a crisis which is then resolved at the end of the story.

Circular: Circular narrative structures is when the beginning of the story ends in the same place. An example of this would be the film ‘Fight Club’ and ‘The Hangover’.

Narrative Theorists

Todorov: Todorov’s narrative theory states that a narrative will follow the structure:

Equilibrium – the beginning of the narrative starts out normal

Disequilibrium – a disruption occurs in the narrative causing disequilibrium

Recognition – Recognition of the disruption

Resolution – A plan is made to solve the disequilibrium

Restoration – Restoration of the equilibrium, the story returns back to the beginning

Vladimir Propp: Propp identified that every narrative has eight character roles – villain, hero, donor, helper, princess, father, dispatcher, false hero. He also discovered that there are 31 functions which moves the story along such as punishment of a villain or some kind of banishment.

Barthes – suggests that narratives work with five different codes that activate the reader to make sense of it:

1. Action

2. Enigma –narrative device that teases audience by presenting puzzle/riddle to delay storys ending

3. Symbolic

4.Semic

5. Cultural – narrative devise which the audience can recognise as being a partof a culture e.g. ‘made man’ in a gangster film is part of mafia culture

Levi Strauss :Came up with the theory of binary opposition and that every character/group has one. E.g native americans – cowboy, old – young, girl – boy, weak –strong etc.

Applying Todorov’s Theory To Current films

Todorov’s theory can be applied to many horror films such as Sweeny Todd.

1. The protagonist (Benjamin Baker) returns to London after his arrest 15 years ago. Hoping to return to a normal life and identity (Sweeny Todd) EQUILIBRIUM

2. On arrival he learns that his wife had poisoned herself with arsenic after the judge raped her. He then learns also that Judge Turpin is the legal gaurdian to his teenage daughter. DISRUPTION + RECOGNITION

3. Todd opens a barber shop and tries to continue with his life. He becomes very restless and finds he has a chance to kill Judge Turpin and rescue his teenage daughter RESOLUTION

4. Todd then claims his daughter back and is reunited with his wife whom he formally thought was a beggar, she is then killed and there is a RESTORATION