Media Studies (9257) | Narrative

AS/A Level Media Studies (9257) Study Notes: Narrative

Part of Section 3.5.1: Media Language

Hello Media Student!
Welcome to the fascinating world of Narrative. Don't worry if this sounds complex—it's just a fancy word for storytelling, and we all know a lot about stories!

In this chapter, we explore how media products (like films, magazines, or news reports) structure their events to communicate meaning effectively. Understanding narrative is crucial because it helps you analyze *why* a product keeps the audience hooked and *what* underlying messages it promotes.

1. The Foundations of Narrative: Story vs. Plot

First, let's clarify the difference between two key terms you might hear:

• Story: What happened. This is the raw sequence of events in chronological order.
• Narrative (or Plot): How the story is told. This is the chosen structure, order, and perspective used to present the events to the audience.

The syllabus highlights that all media products embody narratives by organizing three core elements:

The Three Organisers of Narrative (Causality, Time, Space)

1. Causality: Why things happen.
   

   This is the relationship between cause and effect. A narrative must establish why an event occurred. (Example: The hero was trapped because the villain sabotaged the door.)

2. Time: When things happen.
   

   Narratives can manipulate time—flashbacks, fast-forwards, or speeding up/slowing down action. The sequence and rhythm affect audience engagement.

3. Space: Where things happen.
   

   The setting and environment are vital. Where a scene takes place (e.g., a dark alley vs. a brightly lit garden) influences the mood and meaning.

2. Forms of Narrative Organisation (Structures)

Media products usually follow predictable structures, making them easier for the audience to follow. We often learn these structures without realizing it!

Linear Structure (Traditional Storytelling)

This is the standard five-part arc, often used in films and drama:

1. Exposition: Introducing the characters, setting, and basic situation. This sets the scene.
2. Disruption (or Inciting Incident): Something happens to break the initial status quo and kick off the central conflict. (Example: The main character receives a mysterious phone call.)
3. Complication: The problems pile up. The main character attempts to solve the disruption, but their efforts only lead to further difficulties.
4. Climax: The point of highest tension. The main conflict is confronted head-on, resulting in a crucial turning point.
5. Resolution: The aftermath of the climax. Loose ends are tied up, and the story concludes.

Analogy: Think of a roller coaster. Exposition is queuing up, Disruption is clicking onto the chain, Complication is the slow ascent, Climax is the huge drop, and Resolution is arriving safely back at the platform.

Todorov's Equilibrium Model

While the syllabus doesn't explicitly name Tzvetan Todorov, it describes his theory of narrative flow, which is particularly useful for analyzing long-form media like TV series or sagas:

1. Equilibrium (State of Balance): Everything is normal, calm, and stable at the start. (Example: A town lives happily under the protection of a wizard.)
2. Disruption (The Problem): An event occurs that upsets the balance. (Example: An evil force attacks and kidnaps the wizard.)
3. Recognition of Disruption: The characters realize the full extent of the problem and understand what must be done.
4. Attempts to Restore Equilibrium: The bulk of the narrative—the quest, the struggle, the attempts to fix the situation.
5. New Equilibrium: The situation is resolved, but the world is never exactly the same as it was in step 1. A new status quo is established. (Example: The town is saved, but now the people must protect themselves.)

3. Characters in Narrative: Propp and Archetypes

Narratives use specific character roles to move the plot along.

Vladimir Propp and Character Types

Propp was a Russian folklorist who studied traditional fairy tales and found that, despite different plots, the characters always fell into eight fixed roles. These roles are essential in Quest-type stories.

The 8 Proppian Character Types:

• The Hero: The protagonist; searches for something or combats the villain.
• The Villain: Struggles against the hero; the source of the disruption.
• The Donor: Provides the hero with a magical object or crucial information (often after testing the hero).
• The Helper: Aids the hero in their quest.
• The Dispatcher: Sends the hero on their mission (kicks off the narrative).
• The Princess (or Prize): Often the reward for the hero (though this role can be highly stereotypical and is often modernized).
• The Princess's Father: Rewards the hero (or punishes the false hero).
• The False Hero: Tries to claim credit for the hero's actions; is ultimately exposed.

Archetypes and Binary Opposites

Another way to view characters is through Archetypes. These are universal, recognizable patterns or symbols that cross cultures (e.g., the Wise Old Man, the Trickster, the Innocent Youth).

Narratives also rely heavily on Binary Opposites (a concept linked to structuralist theory). This is the conflict created by two directly opposed concepts or characters, which drives the story forward.

• Examples of Binary Opposites:
  • Good vs. Evil
  • Light vs. Dark
  • Civilization vs. Wilderness
  • Truth vs. Deception

4. Engaging the Audience: Codes and Closure

How does a narrative keep you watching? Media producers use specific techniques to create suspense, intrigue, and satisfaction.

Enigma Codes and Action Codes (Roland Barthes)

French theorist Roland Barthes outlined several narrative codes, but two are essential for understanding audience engagement:

1. Enigma Codes (Hermeneutic Code): These are puzzles, mysteries, or questions posed by the narrative that the audience wants to solve. Enigmas create suspense and keep the audience watching until the resolution.
   (Example: Who is the masked killer? What is in the box?)
2. Action Codes (Proairetic Code): These are events or actions that indicate something is about to happen or has just happened. They simply move the plot forward quickly.
   (Example: A character draws a gun; a countdown timer starts.)

Resolution and Closure

The end of the narrative brings Resolution (the problems are solved) and Closure (the feeling of finality).

• Most commercial media aims for high Closure, leaving the audience satisfied that all questions were answered.
• However, some modern media, especially TV dramas, use open narratives (or minimal closure) to set up the next episode or season.

Narrative Tricks and Subversion

To prevent the story from being too predictable, producers often use tricks:

• False Trails (Red Herrings): Clues or characters designed to intentionally mislead the audience away from the true resolution.
• Pathetic Fallacies: Using the environment (like the weather) to mirror or forewarn the mood or fate of the characters. (Example: A tragic death scene takes place during a sudden, violent storm.)
• Subverting Narrative Expectations: This means deliberately breaking the rules of narrative and genre. When a film kills the main character in the first 15 minutes, or when the villain unexpectedly wins, the convention is subverted (undermined). This can be shocking but is often used to make the media product stand out.