Narrative Theory

http://www.slideshare.net/hasnmedia/narrative-and-essay-planning-for-section-1b

Narrative - the coherence/organisation given to a series of facts. In everything, we seek a beginning, middle and end. We understand and construct meaning using our experience of reality and of previous texts.

Bordwell and Thompson - "Part of the pleasure of going to the cinema is the opportunity to suspend disbelief and to become engrossed in the 'invisible' process of storytelling."

Basic elements of a narrative, according to Aristotle… "The most important is the plot, the ordering of incidents; for tragedy is a representation, not of men, but of action and life, of happiness and unhappiness - and happiness and unhappiness are bound with action. … It is their characters indeed, that make men what they are, but it is by reason of their actions that they are happy or the reverse."

Successful stories rehire actions which change the lives of the characters in the story. They also contain some sort of resolution, where that change is registered.

Allan Rowe - Narrative involves the viewer in making sense of what is seen, asking questions of what we see and anticipating the answers. In particular, narrative invites us to ask both what is going to happen next and when and how will it all end. Narrative operates on the tension between our anticipation of likely outcomes drawn from genre conventions and the capacity to to surprise or frustrate our expect ions.

Continuity Editing - a process that ensures details are consistent throughout the narrative to establish a logical coherence between shots

Structure

Linear Structure - Beginning, middle and end
Open Structure - The audience are left to make sense of what has happened and wonder what happened next?
Closed Structure - Definite ending, clear conclusion for the audience
Circular Structure - The narrative begins at the end events (climax) and works its way backwards to the start)

Roland Barthes - Texts can be open (Variety of different meanings) or closed (Dominant meaning)
                           - The processes we use to unravel meaning are called narrative codes and that they could be categorised the following ways:

• Action or Proiaretic code (anticipation of an action's resolution) and enigma code to integrate the viewer - Applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. (works with the enigma code to develop the story's tensions and keep the reader interested.)
• Symbols and Signs (Semiotics) Semantic Code - refers to parts of the text that suggests additional meanings.
• Points of Cultural Reference (your culture's value and belief system - your interoperation of text is dependent upon this)
• Simple description/reproduction (ideas or reproductions of things we're already familiar) - S

1. Establishment of plot/theme

2. Development of Problem

3. Increase in Tension

4. Resolution of Plot

Conventions of Narrative

Comprehending Time - Very few stories take place in real time. Devices to manipulate time:

• Flashbacks
• Dream Sequences
• Repetition
• Different Characters' POV
• Flash Forwards
• Real time interludes
• pre-figuring of events that have not yet taken place

Tzvetan Todorov - All narratives follow a structure. Equilibrium, Disequilibrium, New Equilibrium, more specifically:
- Equilibrium
- Disruption
- Recognition
- Attempt at Repair
- New Equilibrium.

We can usually apply this to all linear narratives and draws Artistotle's theory that all narratives have some form of conflict or disruption to them

Vladimir Propp - There are only a certain number of characters who crop up in most narratives. It is easy to spot the hero and villain in most cases but there others: 

- Hero: leads the narrative, is usually looking for something or trying to solve something

- Villain: Conflicts with the hero

- Heroine: Usually some sort of prize or reward for the hero

- Father: An authority figure who offers a reward to the hero for completing their quest.

- Helper: Helps the hero - often acts as a sidekick

- Donor: Gives the hero something - a clue, special power etc which helps them complete their quest

- Mentor: Teaches and guides the hero.

Berger (1997) - Showed how it was possible to adapt Propp's characters and function to form binary oppositions. 

• Hero vs. Villain
• Princess (love) vs. Siren (sex)
• Villains who are really good vs. False Heroes/Heroines

Levi Strauss's Theory of Binary Oppositions - Concluded that all narratives were based around or contained a binary or series of binary oppositions. E.g Good vs. Evil

These may not all be apparent at first glance, but sometimes rely on the presupposition on the part of the viewer and may rely on us using our knowledge of narrative and genre filling in the gaps of the prior events that have lead to this point

Peter Wollen (Alternative Narratives) - Distinguished a tradition of counter-cinema. Suggests that the role of mainstream cinema is to produce pleasurable fictions. Hollywood films are created to be consumed and enjoyed, and the contradictions of every day life magically resolved in the happy ending. Counter-cinema, by contrast, is designed to give an unpleasurable reality, presenting a non-narrative, non-escapist world, whose contradictions have to be resolved in real life.