Narrative Theories

Aristotle's Unities:

• The first narrative theory.
• A narrative should be created within a 'unity' of time, place and action.
• It should all take place in the same location, in real time, and with all action moving towards a logical conclusion.

Levi-Strauss' Binary Opposition:

• Narrative tension is based on opposition or conflict.
• Two characters fighting, but more often functions at an ideological level.

Freytag's Dramatic Structure:

• Gustav Feytag was a 19th Century German dramatist and novelist.
• Constructed his theory from the analysis of ancient Greek and Shakespeare drama.
• In modern films, each of these parts are used yet are sometimes in a different order.
• Divided into 5 parts:

1. Exposition
2. Rising Action
3. Climax
4. Falling Action
5. Resolution/Catastrophe

SYD Field's Three Act Plot Structure:

• A typical Hollywood film can be split into 3 sections:

1. The setup
2. The confrontation
3. Resolution

• Plot points move the action from one act to another.
• These could turn around the lives of characters, change their relationships with others and alter the tone of the film.

The Setup (First Act):
The field claims that within the first ten minutes the audience will decide whether they like the film or not.  Their minds are usually not changed later on.  Therefore, its vital to make sure that the audience enjoy the opening ten minutes and they have a sense of who the characters are, what the film is going to be about and what they can expect from the film.

The Confrontation (Second Act):
This is the longest part of the act and where most of the action happens.  We usually see characters in many troubles or situations that could affect them, especially in horror and action films.  An example of a confrontation would be where the main character(s) would confront their enemies.

The Resolution (Third Act):
The hero takes control with their problems and defeats the villain and will achieve victory at the end of the film.



Todorov's Theory:

• Proposed a basic structure for narratives.
• Films and programmes started with an equilibrium (a calm period).
• Agents of disruption cause disequilibrium (unsettlement and disquiet period).
• A renewed state of peace and harmony from the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end.
• The simplest form of narrative is 'Classic' or 'Holloywood'.

Barthes' Enigma Code:

• Establish enigmas or mysteries as it goes along.
• The narrative functions to establish and then solve these mysteries.
• When we start to unravel a text, we encounter an absolute plurality of potential meanings.
• Texts may be open or closed.

Vladimir Propp:

• Characters take on the role of narrative 'spheres of action'.
• The hero is usually male, restores the narrative equilibrium by embarking on a quest.
• Propp disguinshes between the victim hero (centre of the villain's attentions) and the seeker hero (aids others who are the villains victims).
• The hero is normally the central character.
• The villain creates the narrative disruption.
• The donor gives the hero something (helps in resolution).
• The helper aids the hero in the task of restoring equilibrium.
• The victim is usually the character most threatened by the villain and has to be saved at the climax by the hero.
• The dispatcher sends the hero on their task.
• The false hero appears to be good but is revealed to have been bad.

Narrative Conventions:

• Genre
• Character
• Form
• Time