Narrative Theorists

Narrative Theories 

Narrative, is the way in which a story is told in both fictional and non-fictional media texts. In media, there are four main theorists who each have a different perception of the word, narrative. These theorists consist of: Tsvetan Todorov, Vladimir Propp, Claude Levi-Strauss and Roland Barthes.

Tsvetan Todorov 

Bulgarian Literary Theorist

Todorov came up with his theories after making a study of Russian folk tales. He said that all narratives follow a three part structure which is the Equilibrium, Disequilibrium and new Equilibrium. Most narratives start with equilibrium whereby life is balanced, normal and happy. The Disequilibrium is however, when the state of normality is disrupted by something. Once the disruption has been resolved and fought against, equilibrium is restored or a new equilibrium is introduced. As a result, we are back to the state of equilibrium.  

Vladimir Propp 

Russian Critic and Literary Theorist

Muck like Todorov, Propp analysed a large number of Russian fairy tales during the 1920. From what he acquired, he proposed the idea that in a narrative, it was possible to classify the characters and their actions into clearly defined roles and functions. In all, he constructed 31 functions which could happen but not necessarily at the same time as well as 8 character types that arise in all stories. While most recent films and stories, don’t fit Propp’s theory, films such as Star Wars does.

Propp’s Character Roles 

• The Hero (Protagonist – Leads the Narrative. Seeks something or trying to solve something such as a mystery) 
• The villain (Antagonist - opposes the hero)
• The donor (helps the hero by providing a clue, magic object or special power to help them on their quest and to complete it) 
• The dispatcher (sends the hero on his way)
• The false hero (falsely assuming the role of hero) 
• The helper (gives support to the hero and often acts as a sidekick)
• The princess (the reward for the hero, but also needs protection from the villain)
• The father 

Claude Levi Strauss 

Social Anthropologist 

He studied the myths of tribal cultures. Strauss suggested that all narratives had to be driven forward by conflict that was caused by a chain of opposing forces. He called his theory Binary opposition which is used to describe how each main force in a narrative, has its equal and opposite. Whilst analysing a narrative, you can identify these opposing forces and understand how the conflict between them will drive the narrative forward until there is some type of balance or a resolution is achieved. 

Examples of Binary Opposites:

• Good/Bad 
• Weak/Strong 
• Youth/Aged 
• Poverty/Wealth
• Inside/Outside 

Roland Barthes

French Literary Theorist

According to Barthes, the way we come to understand a story comes from our interpretation. So despite there being a basic narrative in any form of media, it depends on who we are our experience and age, to name a few because these influence our perception. He suggested that narrative works with five different codes which stimulate the reader to make sense of it. 

These codes are as followed:

• Action – a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action, e.g. a shoot-out. 
• Enigma – a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved. This works to delay the story’s ending pleasurably. 
• Symbolic – (connotation) 
• Semic – (denotation) 
• Cultural – a narrative device which the audience can recognise as being part of a culture e.g. a “made man” in a gangster film is part of the mafia culture.