Narrative

A narrative is a constructive format that describes the a sequence of fictional and non fictional events.

• Beginning --> Middle --> End

• Exposition --> Complication --> Climax --> Resolution

Narrative Structure is the way a story is organised and shaped in terms of time, events, point of view. 

So Narrative... 

"the process by which stories, fictional and non-fictional, are constructed by the producers and understood"

Narrative Structure:

1. Beginning or exposition - gives us a basic situation of the story

2. Complication - this is where the situation is disrupted 

3. Climax/Crisis- the turning point

4. Resolution - where after crisis, a new situation is established

Todorov's theory of Narrative:

1. Equilibrium - this has to be shown carefully, here the setting is established, the key characters are introduced and the story line is set up.
2. Disruption - the oppositional characters appear and the story takes a particular direction.
3. Recognition - this is where the disruption is being recognized, the lives of the characters and events are interwoven, tension is built up through out this section and this section always tends to be the longest.
4. Attempt to repair - in this section they attempt to repair the damage cause by the disruption, this is the highest point of tension and there is a change in dynamic.
5. New Equilibrium - matters are sorted out and problems are solved and questions have been answered, this is like a new beginning.

Roland Barthes

• Enigma Codes --> to raise questions
• Action Codes --> one action triggers another one

Enigma Code: generates and controls what and how much we know in a narrative, and it holds our interest as a audience. It is like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

Action Code: Events we know will be significant in the development of the narrative, we understand and recognize them instantly from other narratives.

Vladimir Propp


Propp broke fairy tails into sections, through this he could define the tale into a series of sequences that occurred within a Russian fairy tale. There tends to be a initial situation, where the following 31 steps are used.

Absentation, Interdiction, Violation of interdiction, Reconnaissance, Delivery, Trickery, Complicity, Villainy, Mediation, Beginning counter-action, Departure, First function of the donor, Hero's reaction, Receipt of magical agent, Guidance, Struggle, Branding, Victory, Liquidation, Return, Pursuit, Rescue, Unrecognized arrival, Unfounded claims, Difficult task, Solution, Recognition, Exposure, Transfiguration, Punishment and Wedding.

He concluded that all the character could be resolved into 8 broad characters :

1. The villain - struggles against hero
2. The (magical) helper - helps the hero in his quest
3. The dispatcher - character who warns about the villain and sends the hero off
4. The princess - she always ends up getting married to the hero as the hero deserves her, but through out the story the evil (villain) always tries to prevent them getting together but they do get together
5. Her father - gives the task to the hero and often identifies the false hero 
6. The donor - prepares the hero or gives the hero a magical object or a weapon
7. The hero - reacts to donor and always ends up marrying the princess
8. False Hero - takes credit for the hero's actions and tries to marry the princess