Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Narrative Theories and Types

 Open Narrative - Runs on over several episodes - Soap
 An example of an Open Narrative is Eastenders. The soap runs on over several episodes and this is reminded through characters mentioning the past and also new characters coming in and having their own personal storylines.

Closed Narrative - There is an end - Films

Multistranded Narrative - Multiple stories - Could have an overlap


Narrative Theories
  • Todorov- Equilibrium - disruption, attempt to repair - new equilibrium
 
  • Propp - Russian - He started Russian folktales - Told through character function - People - eg. hero, villain, prize/princess, false hero - used in Soaps. 
An example of this could be Phil Mitchell from Eastenders because he acts like a hero one episode, and then the next he is mistreating others.



  • Barthes - Understanding of signs - His theory was that it was shown through codes - This could be easily shown in soaps, such as a clinched fist connotes anger.
Action Code - Something happens  - see the police vehicle
Enigma Code - Clues or hints  -  sirens suggests crime

  • Levi-Strauss - Binary Opposition
Old   New
In      Out
Rich  Poor

                  

No comments:

Post a Comment