Narrative Structures in Media Content
Analysing Media
Content
Narrative
Narrative
•
Narrative is to do with how the story is told, and can be
divided into two main areas:
structure
and
conventions
.
•
Narrative structure
: the rules that tend to be followed
when putting a story together and developing it.
–
e.g. Todorov’s normality-disruption-normality structure;
Levi-Strauss and binary opposition; conflict; resolution (or
non-resolution); etc.
•
Narrative conventions:
established and expected ways
of handling narrative, often related to genre.
–
e.g. cliffhangers; happy endings; enigmas; etc.
Basic Narrative Structure
•
What basic narrative structures do storytellers
usually follow?
•
Beginning – Middle - End
•
Opening – Development – Climax - Resolution
Todorov’s Narrative Theory
Todorov’s Narrative Theory:
“Toy Story”
Your Turn: Todorov
•
Create a cycle which follows
Todorov’s
narrative theory
for a film you know well.
Propp’s Characters’ Spheres of
Action:
Events are dictated by the typical behaviours of a set of
archetypal characters:
1.
The villain
2.
The hero/character who seeks something
3.
The donor (provides an object with some magic property)
4.
The helper (aids the hero)
5.
The princess (reward for the hero/object of villain’s
schemes)
6.
Her father (rewards the hero)
7.
The dispatcher (sends the hero on their task)
8.
The false hero (appears good; revealed at narrative’s end)
Propp’s Characters’ Spheres of Action:
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the
Crystal Skull”
1.
The villain:
Irina Spalko
2.
The hero/character who seeks something:
Indiana Jones
3.
The donor (provides an object with some magic property):
Professor Oxley
4.
The helper (aids the hero):
Mutt Williams
5.
The princess (reward for the hero/object of villain’s
schemes):
Marion Ravenwood
6.
Her father (rewards the hero):
Professor Oxley
7.
The dispatcher (sends the hero on their task):
Dean
Charles Stanforth/Mutt Williams
8.
The false hero (appears good; revealed at narrative’s end):
“Mac” George Michale
Your Turn: Propp
•
Create a list which follows
Propp’s characters’
spheres of action
for a film.
•
Does it manage to follow all of them?
The villain
The hero/character who seeks something
The donor
The helper
The princess
Her father
The dispatcher
The false hero
Levi-Strauss and Binary Opposition
•
A fundamental structure of meaning-making lay in the
inclusion of
binary oppositions
, or a conflict between
two qualities/elements:
–
good vs evil
–
rich vs poor
–
old vs young
–
east vs west
•
These two elements must “do battle”, with one side
coming out on top (usually the one favoured by the
audience – the “good” side).
Levi-Strauss and Binary Opposition
•
“Legally Blonde”
•
Binary opposition: rebel vs society
•
Although Elle is not a conventional
rebel
, she is
distinctly different from her fellow Harvard students
which make up the film’s
society
. By winning over her
detractors and winning the court case at the end
(freeing a fellow rebel – Brooke, who is a similar
character to Elle), Elle - the
rebel
- triumphs over the
society
which has tried to reject her and her values.
Your Turn: Levi-Strauss
•
Explain how a film you know well follows Levi-
Strauss’s binary opposition narrative theory.
•
Does that film have more than one binary
opposition?
good vs evil
rich vs poor
old vs young
east vs west
weak vs powerful
rebel vs society
man vs woman
smart vs stupid
Narrative Conventions
•
Narrative conventions
are when a story develops in an
established
way, so the audience is able to guess how
the story will progress.
•
These are often related to the genre of the text.
–
Examples are:
cliffhangers, happy endings, enigmas
.
•
You should be looking for where the conventions are
followed
, and for when the conventions are
subverted
.
•
List all the
narrative conventions
you can think of for
five
different
genres.
•
Think of
one
film for each genre and assess whether it
follows
the conventions or
subverts
them.
Narrative in media content involves how stories are told, focusing on structure and conventions. Key elements include Todorov's narrative theory, basic narrative structures, and Propp's character spheres of action, all of which shape the way stories unfold in films and other media.
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Presentation Transcript
Analysing Media Content Narrative
Narrative Narrative is to do with how the story is told, and can be divided into two main areas: structure and conventions. Narrative structure: the rules that tend to be followed when putting a story together and developing it. e.g. Todorov s normality-disruption-normality structure; Levi-Strauss and binary opposition; conflict; resolution (or non-resolution); etc. Narrative conventions: established and expected ways of handling narrative, often related to genre. e.g. cliffhangers; happy endings; enigmas; etc.
Basic Narrative Structure What basic narrative structures do storytellers usually follow? Beginning Middle - End Opening Development Climax - Resolution
Todorovs Narrative Theory Equilibrium/ Normality Return to/ new equilibrium Disruption Repair of Disruption Recognition
Todorovs Narrative Theory: Toy Story Woody rules the nursery Woody and Buzz rule the nursery together Buzz arrives Woody saves Buzz, then Buzz saves Woody s life Woody realises Buzz is new favourite; gets rid of him
Your Turn: Todorov Create a cycle which follows Todorov s narrative theory for a film you know well.
Propps Characters Spheres of Action: Events are dictated by the typical behaviours of a set of archetypal characters: 1.The villain 2.The hero/character who seeks something 3.The donor (provides an object with some magic property) 4.The helper (aids the hero) 5.The princess (reward for the hero/object of villain s schemes) 6.Her father (rewards the hero) 7.The dispatcher (sends the hero on their task) 8.The false hero (appears good; revealed at narrative s end)
Propps Characters Spheres of Action: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 1.The villain: Irina Spalko 2.The hero/character who seeks something: Indiana Jones 3.The donor (provides an object with some magic property): Professor Oxley 4.The helper (aids the hero): Mutt Williams 5.The princess (reward for the hero/object of villain s schemes): Marion Ravenwood 6.Her father (rewards the hero): Professor Oxley 7.The dispatcher (sends the hero on their task): Dean Charles Stanforth/Mutt Williams 8.The false hero (appears good; revealed at narrative s end): Mac George Michale
Your Turn: Propp Create a list which follows Propp s characters spheres of action for a film. Does it manage to follow all of them? The villain The donor Her father The hero/character who seeks something The helper The dispatcher The princess The false hero
Levi-Strauss and Binary Opposition A fundamental structure of meaning-making lay in the inclusion of binary oppositions, or a conflict between two qualities/elements: good vs evil rich vs poor old vs young east vs west These two elements must do battle , with one side coming out on top (usually the one favoured by the audience the good side).
Levi-Strauss and Binary Opposition Legally Blonde Binary opposition: rebel vs society Although Elle is not a conventional rebel, she is distinctly different from her fellow Harvard students which make up the film s society. By winning over her detractors and winning the court case at the end (freeing a fellow rebel Brooke, who is a similar character to Elle), Elle - the rebel - triumphs over the society which has tried to reject her and her values.
Your Turn: Levi-Strauss Explain how a film you know well follows Levi- Strauss s binary opposition narrative theory. Does that film have more than one binary opposition? good vs evil old vs young weak vs powerful man vs woman rich vs poor east vs west rebel vs society smart vs stupid
Narrative Conventions Narrative conventions are when a story develops in an established way, so the audience is able to guess how the story will progress. These are often related to the genre of the text. Examples are: cliffhangers, happy endings, enigmas. You should be looking for where the conventions are followed, and for when the conventions are subverted. List all the narrative conventions you can think of for five different genres. Think of one film for each genre and assess whether it follows the conventions or subverts them.
