Narrative Theorists

Narrative – the way in which a story is told in both fictional and non-fictional media texts.

Vladimir Propp• Vladimir Propp is a Russian critic and literary theorist. • He has analysed over 100 Russian fairy-tales in the

1920. • He said that it was possible to classify the characters

and their actions into clearly defined roles and functions. • Star Wars is a prime example for Propp’s pricise model,

but a significant number of more recent films such as Pulp Fiction do not.• The model is more useful although it highlights the

similarities between the seemingly quite different stories.

Propp’s Character Roles • The Villain – the opposite to the hero• The hero – seeks something• The donor – helps the hero out by providing magical

objects• The dispatcher – sends the hero his own way• The helper – always the character who supports the

hero• False hero – the role where you assume the role of the

hero• The princess and her father – this is like an reward for

the hero, however the princess needs protection from the villain as well.

Tzvetan Todorov• Bulgarian literary theorists• Believes and suggests most narratives start with a stat

of equilibrium in which life is oppose to be normal and happy. • This state of normality is interrupted by a force and this

has to be fought off so they’ll be able to return to a state of equilibrium. • A model lie this can be easily applied to a wide range of

films.

Roland BarthesRoland Barthes is a French semiologist and he suggested that narrative works with five different codes which active the reader for it to be able to make sense of it. Barthes Codes – Action – a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action

for example a shoot-out.. Enigma – a narrative device that puts the audience on the edge of their

seats and teases them and this is done by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved. Works to delay the story’s ending pleasurably.

Symbolic – Connation Semic – Denotation Cultural – a device which is narrative and this helps the audience to

recognise as being part of a culture.

Claudes Levi-Strauss• Social Anthropologist. • Studied myths of tribal cultures.• Examined how stories unconsciously reflect the values, beliefs

and myths of a culture.• These are usually expressed in the form of binary oppositions. • Strauss research has been adapted by media theorists to reveal

underlying themes and symbolic oppositions in media text.

Binary Oppositions • A conflict between two qualities or terms.