Tim O'Sullivan (et al), 1998, argues that through careful meditation. media texts offer a way of telling the story of us as a culture.
Narrative: the structure of a story.
Diegesis: the fictional space and time/the world in which the story takes place.
Verisimilitude: the quality of appearing to be real or true. For a story to be engaging it needs to be believable and follow the rules of continuity and have temporal and spacial coherence.
Bordwell and Thompson, 1997, offer two distinctions between a story and a plot:
Story (fabula): The chronological series of events that are represented or implied.
Plot (syuzhet): Everything visible and audible. It is considered to be the order, manner and technique of the narrative.
Classic Narrative System
Pam Cook, 1985, claims that the standard Hollywood narrative structure has:- Linearity of cause and effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution
- A high degree of narrative closure
- A fictional world that contains verisimilitude, especially governed by spatial and temporal coherence
Tzvetan Todorov, 1977, claims there are 5 stages within a narrative:
- A point of stable equilibrium
- The stability is broken; disequilibrium
- Recognition that a disruption has taken place
- Action(s) against the disruption in order to re-create equilibrium
- A new equilibrium comes to existence
Kate Domaille, 2001, argues that every story ever told can be fitted into one of 8 narrative types:
- Achilles - fatal flaw that leads to the destruction of the hero/protagonist.
- Candide - the indomitable hero who cannot be tamed/put down.
- Cinderella - female lead (usually), dream comes true. Happy ending.
- Circle - the chase; the spider and the fly, innocent versus villain.
- Faust - this narrative is about selling one's soul to the devil; becoming better off for a while, but ultimately having to face destiny/fate.
- Orpheus - the journey that follows the loss of something or someone precious to the protagonist
- Romeo and Juliet - the love story.
- Tristan and Iseult - the love triangle.
Vladimir Propp, 1928, studied the narrative structure of Russian folk tales. He concluded that all characters could be resolved into 7 character types. This theory also applies to media texts and other stories.
- The Villain - fights against hero
- The Donor - prepares the hero
- The Helper - helps the hero in the quest
- The Princess and her father* - gives the task to the hero
- The Dispatcher - character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off
- The Hero - weds the princess
- The False Hero - takes credit for the hero's actions/tries to marry the princess
Joseph Campbell, 1949, suggests there is an underlying structure in narrative that is common to the religions, myths and legends of almost every culture in the world.
This therory can be applied to thousands of stories and media texts, and is especially known to fit almost exactly with George Lucas' Star Wars:
- Ordinary world - the ordered world in which the hero lives
- Call to adventure - problem/challenge arises
- Refusal to call - fear or reluctance might strike the hero
- Meeting with mentor - the mentor convinces the hero
- Crossing the first threshold - hero commits to the adventure
- Test, allies, enemies - hero learns the rules which govern his quest
- Approach to the innermost cave - the most dangerous confrontation yet
- Ordeal - the hero must face his mortal enemy
- Reward (seizing the sword) - hero celebrates his victory
- The road back - vengeful forces controlled by the villain are unleashed
- Resurrection - a final confrontation with death
- Return with the elixir - return of the hero to his world with wisdom, treasure or something else gained from the adventure
Claude Lévi-Strauss
To be continued...
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