Download - Narrative theory

Transcript
Page 1: Narrative theory

NARRATIVEMedia StudiesMedia Studies

Page 2: Narrative theory

“Narrative is a way of organising spatial and temporal data into a cause and effect chain of events with a beginning, middle and end that embodies a judgement about the nature of the events as well as demonstrates how it is possible to know, and hence to narrate, the events. “ Brannigan E. Narrative Comprehension and Film

Page 3: Narrative theory

Features of NarrativeStructure• Aristotle’s beginning, middle and end.• Todorov’s equilibrium>disequilibrium>re-equilibrium• Propp’s “functions”

2. Temporal order, temporal duration, temporal frequency

3. Story and Plot• Explicitly presented actions/events• Implicitly inferred actions/events• Non diegetic material (captions/titles, drama enhancing

music etc.)

Page 4: Narrative theory

Other Features1. Constructional Devices

Cinematography Mise- en- scene Editing Sound

2. Genre Associations Genre Codes (e.g. Iconography) Genre Conventions

3. Narrative Codes Levi Straus’s Binary Oppositions Character Psychology Semiotic Analysis

Page 5: Narrative theory

Todorov Initial Situation (Equilibrium)

Disruption (Non equilibrium)

Restoration (Re Equilibrium)

‘The Shining’

Page 6: Narrative theory

Propp 1928 Based upon the Russian Folktale 1928

Types of Characters, Specific Forms of Action, function in the Narrative.

Thirty One Functions identified.

Page 7: Narrative theory

Specific research on narrative

• Vladimir Propp

• Russian Formalist in the 1930s• He identified seven archetypal

characters..

Page 8: Narrative theory

Propp’s character archetypes

The Villain The Donor/giver of knowledge The Helper The Princess (sought after person) The Dispatcher The Hero (or victim) The False Hero

Page 9: Narrative theory
Page 10: Narrative theory

Propp’s character archetypes

The Villain Darth Vader The Donor Obi Won Kenobe The Helper Han Solo The Princess Princess Leah The Dispatcher R2 - D2 The Hero Luke Skywalker The False Hero Darth Vader (Luke’s dad)

Page 11: Narrative theory

Definitions from Bordwell and Thompson (1991)

Plot: What we see on screen. Includes extra-narrative things.

Story: all that we know about the narrative including seen and unseen.

Cause and effect: Cause and effect. Causes can come from a character.

Page 12: Narrative theory

Levi Strauss Binary Opposites

• Protagonist/Antagonist

• Action /Inaction

• Good looking / Ugly

• Witty / Humourless

Page 13: Narrative theory

Barthes

Audience Decodes• Enigma Code (sets up a question to be answered

later)• Action Code - understood by cross reference to

other narratives in our culture• Semic Code (How characters, actions ,events,

settings etc. take on meaning within a culture.• Symbolic Code - Binary Oppositions or

Psychological symbols• Cultural Codes - understood through our interaction

with the wider world.