Narrative AS Terminology Revision
Source: Latymer Media Blog
Associated Resources
 Narrative AS Terminology Revision Sheet.doc
Overview
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Narrative
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Narrative Enigmas
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Narrative Themes
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Narrative Structure
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Narrative Theory
Narrative
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The structure and organisation of media texts e.g. story
Narrative chain of cause and effect – the plotlines in a story that are triggered by action and enigma codes (something happens that causes
something else to happen)
Narrative is correlated with genre – some genres have typical storylines
Narrative Enigmas
 Codes which limit audience information – a puzzle to be solved e.g. “who, what, why, when, where, how?”
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Purpose – engages audience attention, maintains curiosity and interest within the narrative chain of cause and effect
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Crime Drama – enigmatic, ‘investigative’ narrative
Narrative Themes
 Social issues which are explored within the media text e.g. family values, social class, sexuality
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Narrative themes tend to be explored by the Horror and Crime Drama on a more manifest level because the narrative tends to be more simplistic and
encoded with entertainment values
Narrative Structure
 The structure and format of the storyline e.g. closed/open, three act structure, four act structure, linear/non linear, asynchronous, single
stranded/multi-stranded
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Hollywood Film – typically, many texts have a single stranded, closed, 3 act structure
Narrative Theory
 Claude Levi-Strauss: theory related to Binary Oppositions
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Binary Oppositions are a way of understanding the Narrative in media texts
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Crime Drama Binary Oppositions:
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Murderer | Investigator
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Crime Scene | Police Station
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Strong Male | Female Victim
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Working Class | Middle Class
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Intelligence | Ignorance
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Good | Evil
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Guilt | Innocence
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Right | Wrong
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Private Life | Professional Life
Todorov – 4 Act Structure:
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Equilibrium
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Disruption
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Resolution
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New Equilibrium
Crime Drama – (Todorov): Equilibrium = Normality, Disruption = Crime, Resolution = Crime Solved/Enigmas resolved, New Equilibrium = New Order
is restored
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Propp – a narrative theory based on character (8 character roles). This helps audience understand narrative based on character relations
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Lyotard’s Theory of Grand Narratives e.g. Angels and Demons (science v religion)