Narrative Theory - Levi-Strauss, Barthes, Todorov & Propp

The following is a summary of four different theories about films. They may not all completely fit a film, however there may be aspects from each in any film.


Claude Levi-Strauss - Binary Opposites
Levi-Strauss used the idea of binary oppositions as a way of understanding the production of meaning within narratives. He argued that all constructed meaning depended on opposites, meaning that they were paired to something. Every element of a story has something meaning completely the opposite that it is paired with. Some examples of binary opposites found in moving image narratives are:

• male vs female
• good vs evil
• hero vs villain

Each genre and film contains binary opposites and some genres have binary opposites specific to them such as Westerns having wilderness vs cultivation and homesteader vs 'Red Indians'.

Roland Barthes - Action & Enigma Codes
Barthes decided that films are made up of narrative codes such as action and enigma codes. These codes are ways in which suspense is created in narrative.

Enigma codes: Are plot elements which cause the audience to ask questions about the event and why something happened.

Action codes: Are actions on screen which result in further action. These cause the audience to ask questions as to what is going to happen next. Suspense is created by the audience's wish to understand the reasons behind an action.


Tzvetan Todorov - Narrative Structure
Todorov's theory is about the way fictional narratives are structured. He believes it follows simple stages:

1. It begins with equilibrium (everything is normal)
2. There is a disruption/series of disruptions
3. Thwarted attempts at resolving disruption
4. A resolution of the disruption
5. Equilibrium is 'restored', things are 'normal' although changed forever due to events - A new equilibrium is reached

The narrative isn't in a linear structure, but a circular one. The narrative is driven forward by attempts to restore the equilibrium. The 'restored' equilibrium is never the same as the one at the beginning of the narrative.

Todorov believes that a transformation occurs within narrative. The characters or situation is distorted/transformed by the disruption/events. The disruption is normally outside of 'normal' social occurrences. E.g. Somebody disappears and people have to solve the mystery surrounding the event


Vladimir Propp - Folk Tales & Character Types
Propp identified eight different types of characters applicable to narratives:
1. The villain/antagonist
2. The hero/protagonist - doesn't have to follow normal conventions of a hero e.g. male and brave
3. The donor - someone who provides the hero with a useful means to carry out his task - sometimes inadvertently
4. The helper - aids the hero throughout the narrative
5. The princess - reward for the hero at end of narrative, sometimes object of villains scheme - not necessarily female damsel in distress, can be male
6. The father figure - rewards hero in the end, provides support and means to carry on - not always male
7. The dispatcher - makes hero start 'quest' - go on their way
8. The false hero

Propp's theories are quite often broken by film-makers, audiences might not be familiar or notice Propp's theories, however when they are broken they notice. E.g. the main character in psycho is killed within the first half an hour