Narritve Devices

Levi Strauss

Claude Levi-Strauss' built upon philosopher Aristotle statement that all drama is conflict with this theory of binary opposition. Strauss said that all stories are accelerated forward by conflict which is caused by opposing characters or events.

Opposites in a storyline are extremely important in a successful story, as drawing two different words or characters together inspires conflict and interesting narrative.

Therefore, the present of binary opposition in films is an important one, as the differences within the world of the story collide and create a disturbance for which a solution must be found. It also helps to create and distinguish between character roles, for there cannot be a hero without a villain.

Barthes Narrative Devices

Roland Bathes proposes that there are codes within film which serve to engage audiences;

The Enigma Code generates and controls what information a viewer is aware of within a narrative and holds their interest throughout the film. It introduces problems or puzzles which must be solved as well as mysteries which must be uncovered.

The Action Code refers to events which occur that the viewer immediately can identify as being significant to the development of the narrative. Resolution may be achieved through action also.

Todorov Narrative Devices

Tsventan Todorov presented us with his theory, which based on his study of folk tales, that implies all mainstream film follows a similar narrative structure to each other. It consists of five stages and is known as Torodov's Theory of Narrative.





Propp Narrative Devices

- Vladimir Propp also proposes a narrative structure which is similar to Todorov's, but slighty more detailed and complex.

Preparation - Introduction
Complication - Keys or clues to the direction of the story
Transference - The donor events
Struggle - Dealing with the complications
Return - Back to 'home' however there are still issues remaining
Recognition - Loose ends are tied up

This ties in directly with Propp's Character Theory, which identifies more character roles than the previously obvious protagonist and antagonist. He states the importance of 'spheres of action' for each character as opposed to rigid character types, with one character having the ability to assume more than one role. Propps identifies seven main roles:

- The Villain
- The Donor - Prepares the hero or gives them a magical object
- The (magical) helper - Helps the hero throughout the quest
- The princess - Object of the heroes desire, sought for during the narrative
- The princesses father - Rewards the hero
- The dispatcher - Character to send the hero off
- The hero ( victim/seeker) - Reacts to the donor, weds the princes, completes the task
- The false hero, usurper or anti hero