Section1- unit 3- Narrative

Narrative

Narrative is the media term for story telling. Narrative is the way the different elements in a story are organised to make a meaningful story. Some of these elements can be facts in documentary, or characters and an action in a drama. When we look at narrative we see that stories throughout the media share certain characteristics. This often links them to genre. Different media tell stories in a variety of different ways. This is the way the story or plot unfolds.

Open or closed-structure

A closed structure means the story ends satisfactorily as in most films- this is known as closure. An open ending means their is no final conclusion to the story. Some texts have an interactive structure. A multi-strand structure means there are several narratives running at the same time. Other narrative structures include point of view. A popular narrative device is the enigma. The plot constructs a puzzle that the audience is asked to solve while the characters act out the story.

Narrative is informed by character, action and location. Characters have functions such as heroes or villains, or someone who assists the hero or villain as a helper or messenger. The action determines how the events in the narrative occur and the influence they have. The location of a film or television programme is an important ingredient in how the story unfolds. A horror film about Dracula must have a castle.

Narrative is often delivered to the audience by expectation, suspense, tension and closure. The audience is led to expect certain things to happen which leads to tension and excitement. Expectation, suspense and tension are created by the use of Media Language. There are four main theorists to consider:  Tzvetan Todorov, Vladimir Propp, Roland Barthes, Lévi-Strauss.

Todorov theory has three main parts: 1. The text begins with a state of equilibrium – everything appears to be normal or calm. 2. There is some kind of disruption or disequilibrium – this is often a threat to the normal situation or it could be just a setback. 3. A new equilibrium is produced to end the narrative. In the best narratives there is some kind of change for the better perhaps in the main character’s behaviour or outlook on life. Todorov suggests there are five stages to how the narrative progresses: 1. The equilibrium has to be carefully shown (otherwise the disruption may not be dramatic enough to create a strong plot) 2. There is a disruption 3. There is a recognition that a disruption has happened. 4. There is an attempt to repair the damage done by the disruption. 5. A new equilibrium is achieved.

Propp studied folk tales and he proposed ways of grouping characters and their actions into eight broad character types.  The villain  2. The hero, or character who seeks something, usually motivated by a lack of something (money, love etc.) The hero doesn’t have to be heroic in the way most people would understand it – heroes can be male or female, brave or cowardly. 3. The donor, who provides an object with some magic property. 4. The helper, who aids the hero. 5. The princess, reward for the hero, and object of the villain’s schemes. 6. Her father, who rewards the hero. 7. The dispatcher, who sends the hero on his way. 8. The false hero, the character who also lays claim to the princess but is unsuitable and causes complications.

Levi-Strauss introduced the notion of binary oppositions as a useful way to consider the production of meaning within narratives. He argued that all construction of meaning was dependent, to some degree, on these oppositions. Examples are: Good vs. Evil, Male vs. Female, Humanity vs. technology, Nature vs. industrialism, East vs. West and Dark vs. Light. 

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