Research: Narrative theory

Narrative theory

What is narrative?

Narrative theory is familiar and a relatively easy concept for teachers and students of literature. Narrative structures can be studied in works of literature, journalism, theatre, and all time based media like movies and television adverts. While many media text can be analyzed according to 'classic' narrative principles of storytelling, moving images and digital forms require also a new critical framework.

Propp's theory

Vladimir Propp, was a Russian critic. Whilst the cinema were producing many films, Propp was essentially interested in the narrative of folk tales. He noticed that often many Folk tales were similar in a variety areas. He created a theory about characters and actions as narrative functions. 

The typical characters Propp found were The Hero – a character that seeks something. The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest. The Donor – who provides an object with magical properties. The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message. The False Hero – who disrupts the hero’s success by making false claims. The Helper – who aids the hero. The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain’s plots. Her Father – who acts to reward the hero for his effort.In a struggle scene Vladimir Propp suggested the theory that there is a struggle between the hero and the villain. The hero is branded. The villain is overcome. The state of disorder is settled, and the recognition scene - At this stage in the film either the hero is recognised or the false hero or villain is unmasked. The false hero could also be punished in this scene, or the hero attains the reward enabling them to live happily ever after. An example of this is a fairytale.

Todorov's theory

 Izetan Todorov was a Bulgarian structuralist linguist publishing influential work on narrative from the 1960's onwards. Todorov once suggested that stories begin with equilibrium or status where any potentially opposing forces are in the balance. This is however disrupted by an event, setting in a series of events. Problems are solved in order for the order to be restored to the world of the fiction.

 Todorov suggeste that conventional narratives are structured in five stages:

1) A state of equilibrium at the outset

2) A disruption of the equilibrium by an action

3) A recognition that there has been a disruption

4) an attempt to repair the disruption

5) A reinstatement of the equilibrium

This type of narrative structure is very familiar to us and can be applied to various "mainstream" film narratives.

Aristotle's theory 

In his usual methodical way, Aristotle stated that there were six ingredients in a tragedy: "the Fable or Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Melody." He goes on to discuss the relative importance, as he saw it, of Plot and Character.

In his treatment of character, Aristotle suggests that in tragedy the protagonist should fit certain conditions:
It follows, therefore, that there are three forms of Plot to be avoided. (1) A good man must not be seen passing from happiness to misery, or (2) a bad man from misery to happiness. The first situation is not fear-inspiring or piteous, but simply odious to us. The second is the most untragic that can be; it has no one of the requisites of Tragedy; it does not appeal either to the human feeling in us, or to our pity, or to our fears. Nor, on the other hand, should (3) an extremely bad man be seen falling from happiness into misery. Such a story may arouse the human feeling in us, but it will not move us to either pity or fear; pity is occasioned by undeserved misfortune, and fear by that of one like ourselves; so that there will be nothing either piteous or fear-inspiring in the situation. There remains, then, the intermediate kind of personage, a man not pre-eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice and depravity but by some error of judgment, of the number of those in the enjoyment of great reputation and prosperity.

Barthes' theory 

 Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic and semiotician. He explored a wide range of fields and also influenced the development of schools. Barthes described text to have no beginning, be reversible and that we can gain access to it by several entrance, none that can be declare by the main one. 

He meant that once unravelled, we encounter a wide range of potential meanings. He also meant that we can start by looking at a narrative in one way, from one viewpoint, one set of previous experience, and create one meaning for that text, and that you can continue to unravel the narrative from a different angle and create an entirely different meaning.

 Narrative structure in thrillers

Thriller’s narrative have often a complex structure, they like to keep the audience guessing on what will happen next and it has twist and turns. A lot of thrillers have a restricted narrative, questions and or riddles will be left unanswered until towards the end of the film. Also in narrative they can put in false clue.

Narrative structure in my thriller 

In my thriller, I want to use a simple structure where the antagonist will attack the victim and the victim will then try to escape.