Narrative Theory - GCOP200

'Narrative' and 'Story' are two different things, although sometimes they can be easily confused.
'Narrative' is the way that the story is told. The way that the events are put together to be presented to an audience.
'Story' on the other hand is the sequence of events. The plot.

Using this vocabulary, you can easily contrast and compare different types of medias/texts (e.g films, books) that share the same STORY, but the NARRATIVE is different. Alice in Wonderland can be a good example of this, as there are many similar stories that share similarities e.g someone going into a dream world.

'Texts' can be anything, e.g book covers, photos, paintings, animations, logo design...

Marina Warner (1994), noticed that contemporary worries were always applied to folk tales. Mankind was concerned about the same stories all of the time leading to repeated narratives. Myths that keep reoccurring.

Prometheus (from Greek mythology), was about a man who made another man to accelerate progress. This creator was punished. This story is echoed in many other stories e.g, Frankenstein, Jurassic Park, Rocky Horror, Adam & Eve, Utopia, Avatar, Humans (TV series)...
These all use the same basic story, but take on current contemporary concerns. They all include:
- Ego/isolation of creator
- Sense of futurism (at the time that the film was made)
- 'God' complex
- A consequence/something goes wrong
- Character playing the monster
- Creations become aware & seek out meaning

Throughout history, there have been loads of people who bring forward different models that help to break down stories/narratives.

Vladimir Propp - Looked at fairytales, and identified different character types.
- The protagonist - HERO
- The antagonist - VILLAN
- The sidekick - HELPER
- Dispatcher - BOSS
- Fairy - DONOR
- Princess - GIRL
- False hero - BETRAYER
(Not all appear in stories. Character can be more than 1)

Tzvetan Todorar  - Looking at the plot of the film
- Equilibrium (the normal) (This can be carried on from an already altered equilibrium from a previous episode/film)
- Disruption (the problem)
- Uncertainty (solve problem?)
- Repair (go back and return) (maybe slight changed/altered equilibrium)

Structualist - Claude Levi-Strauss 
Binary oppositions between people/ideas = tension
Opposing ideas = conflict
Better understand the message of story to understand  them (overcoming the problems)
Good/Evil, Villan/Hero, Corruption/Innocence, Age/Youth, Reality/Fantasy, Mundane/Special, Freedom/Oppression, Trust/Betrayal , Holding on/Letting go, Savagery/Civilisation, Peace/War, East/West, Science/Religion, Rich/Poor, Hunger/Fullness, Insufficiency/Poverty, Excess/Consumerism, Developed/Underdeveloped...

You need the opposite in order to notice one of the extremes.

Roland Barthes
Explored the way in which texts make meaning. He did this by pulling apart texts into semiotics and understanding how they fit together. The meaning was created by the active audience. The text remains open.
Shift from PASSIVE audience to ACTIVE audience.

Narrative Codes = meaning is made by following 5 codes placed into be read by the audience.
1) ENIGMA CODE = puzzles to be solved. Delay the ending. Maintain interest and anticipation. Resolution at the end (keeping engagement).

2) ACTIONS CODE = Progression of narrative expects consequence. Action/behaviour = consequence, e.g development of character's relationships

3) SYMBOLIC CODE = Process of representing an object/idea/feeling. Visual metaphor (e.g mockingjay pin)

4) SEMIC CODE = Use of connotation = insight to characters/objects/settings. Learn to be able to read through/understand the narrative.

5) CULTURAL CODE = Outside knowledge. Culturally specific knowledge outside of the text. What knowledge do we bring that helps us read the text. Easter eggs. Influences from 90/80s etc.