Narrative Theory

Narrative Theory

Narrative is the coherence or organisation given to a series of facts. The human mind needs narrative to make sense of things. We connect events and make interpretations based on those connections. In everything we seek a beginning, a middle and an end.

There are several Narrative theorists and each have there own ideas about narrative. I have been looking at how there ideas can be applied to documentaries and hopefully how i could use there ideas or challenge there ideas.

First up is Christopher Vogler
His theory is known as "The Heroes Journey" it is a 4 act structure camouflaged as a 3 act structure
(picture uploaded using google.docs)
The Theory can be applied to documentaries in several ways

1. (Heroes Arch) Could be following a story of a certain individuals life on a rise to fame (say they have an exceptional talent) - the documentary would show how they went from the ordinary world, crossed the threshold, overcame certain ordeals, and then "returned with the elixir"
2. (Characters Arch) - They are kind of awear of their talent, they commit, there is the big change, however this brings consequences which they much over come, then there is the mastery of there talent
3. This can be applied to my coursework like so:A documentary about A Level students. they would be the "heroes" they are met with the challenge of coursework. at first they are reluctant however they commit to the challenge, they experiment and prepear maybe meeting a big change. There may be some big consequences to the big change. the production of the final product should show mastery. and the return with the elixir would be getting the grade they had aimed for or completing the final product.


Second is Tzventan Todorov
His theory is the theory of simplified the idea of Equilibrium and Disequilibrium this allowes a more simplified idea but a more complex interpretation of media text.

This theory explains that stories have certain sections

Equilibrium - beginning, meeting the character in their own world.

Disturbance - things change, a problem occurs the we were introduced to changes, or there is a problem with the characters.
Resolution - the problem is solved, and a different equilibrium is restored.

A documentary on a natural disaster would follow this theory

1. Equilibrium - everyone leads a normal life
2. Disturbance - natural disaster like an earthquake occurs destroying homes and claiming lives
3. Resolution - Homes are rebuilt and people resume there new lives
4. This can be applied to my media project like so:


Up third is Ronald Barthes
He describes media texts as "A galaxy of signifiers and not a structure of signified". To put it another way he is saying media texts are like balls of thread that require unraveling and during this process we encounter a mass amount of meanings which we are free to interpret. You could start unraveling one thread which would set out one set of meanings but you could then start unraveling another thread to being about another set of different meanings to the same text, and this could be done an infinate number of times if one wished to with each meaning having a slightly different angle on the same text.

How does this apply to documentaries? well media texts can be structured so they are "open" to interpretation (there are lots of threads to pull on) or "closed" (there is only one obvious thread to pull on) An open Documentary would be a documentary about a social issue where the documentary makes a point and will focus on the point it made but will ultimately let you make up your own mind about it. A closed documentary would be a little bit harder to define but would probably be on something like religion where the symbols and signs of religion point to only one obvious thread to untangle.
Barthes also decided the threads you pull on are called "Narrative Codes" and these are categorised like so

* Action/Proiarectic code and enigma code(ie Answers & questions)
* Symbols & Signs
* Points of Cultural Reference
* Simple description/reproduction

This could be applyed to my documentary as it will be "open" to inturpretation. It could be seen as putting across a very good arguement by one person but to another it could be complete nonsence as they have pulled on a different thread

Finally we have Vladimire Propp
Propps Theory breaks down the components of stories into 31 narrative units or "narratemes" by analysing types of action and characters. Although not all 31 were present in all the stories he analysed he did see that there was very little variation in the order of these 31 narratemes.
(A document containing details of all 31 narratemes can be found here)

This could be applied by a documentary by arranging the narratemes in an order similar to this

1. A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced) - main personality seen in the documentary

2. An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'go to this place') - Headphones start to break

8. Villain causes harm/injury to family member - headphones break

11. Hero leaves home - hero leaves home to go buy some headphones

9. Misfortune or lack is made known, - no shops in Thornbury sell headphones

18. Villain is defeated - a single pair of headphones are spotted on a stall

26. Task is resolved - headphones are purchased

The role of a hero may be interchanged with the role of an "Everyman". An "everyman" is a character who represents an average every day person who has no real heroic power or abilitys so calling them a hero may seem a bit like an over statement. Rather than over comeing obstecals like a hero the everyman will take a journy of learning.