Narrative Structure – Key Words & Theories

Linear/chronological – when a story is told in the order it happens

Sequential – when one event comes after the other chronologically

Circular structure – when a story ends how it begins

Time based –

Narrative arc – refers to the chronological construction of the plot in a story

flashback – when a chronological sequence is interrupted by an event that happened previous to the specific moment in a narrative

flash forward – when a chronological sequence is interrupted by an event that happens after the specific moment in a narrative

Foreshadowing – when an event that occurs in a narrative is hinted at earlier on

Ellipsis – a device which excludes a portion of the sequence of events

Pathos – when a narrative is written in order to generate and appeal to an audiences emotions

Empathy – when an audience is able to share a feeling or perspective with a character or moment

diegetic – refers to the internal world created by the story that the narrators/characters themselves experience and encounter

non-diegetic – refers to the things we see and hear in a narrative that come from the external world of a story which do not actually experience and encounter the story

slow motion – a motion picture where that action has been altered to make it appear to have occurred slower than it actually did in order to create dramatic effect

fast motion – a motion picture where that action has been altered to make it appear to have occurred faster than it actually did in order to create dramatic effect

Freytag’s Pyramid:

paradigm of dramatic structure outlining the seven key steps in successful storytelling: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.

• exposition – the background information that is given at the beginning of a story about the characters, setting etc…
• inciting incident – the narrative event which launches the main action
• rising action – the bulk of the plot which builds up to the climax
• climax – the turning point or crisis in a narrative which is often the highest point of interes
• falling action – when the climax begins to resolve
• resolution – when the climax is resolved
• denouement  – when conflict in a plot is resolved and the plot concludes

Tztevan Todorov – Tripartite narrative structure:

Beginning / middle / end – the most basic organisational framework of a story

• Equilibrium – when all forces or moments acting upon a narrative are balanced
• Disruption – when an incident or trivial story disrupts the narrative flow
• New equilibrium – when order is restored
• plot/sub-plot – a narrative often has as overarching master plot accompanied by a series of sub-plots
• multiple equilibrium/ disruption sequences – when a narrative deploys multiple equilibrium/disruption sequences in order to produce a roller coaster effect
• flexi-narrative –
• condensed equilibrium – when a narrative propels a moment of immediate disruption to instantly hook the audience rather than building up to it

Aristotle:

Poetics –

• Peripeteia – the turning point in a narrative after which the plot moves steadily to its denouncement
• Anagnoresis – the moment in a narrative when a character makes a dramatic revelation
• Catharsis – a moment of emotional release as a result of a resolution being made

The 3 Unities –

• Unity of Action – a tragedy should have one principle action
• Unity of Time – that action of a tragedy should occur over a period of no more than 24hours
• Unity of Place – a tragedy should exist in a single physical location

Seymour Chatman – Satellites & Kernels

• Kernels – key moments in the plot/narrative structure – the narrative would not work without them
• Satellites – embellishments, aesthetics, and developments in the plot/narrative structure – the narrative would be able to work without them

Roland Bathes – Proairetic and Hermenuetic Codes

• Proairetic code: action, movement, causation
• Hermenuetic code: reflection, dialogue, character or thematic development
• Enigma code: the way in which intrigue and ideas are raised – which encourage an audience to want more information

Vladimir Propp – Stock Characters

• Villain – causes some form of misfortune, damage or harm, their evil action will, of course, lead to a fight or another form of struggle with the hero
• Victim/Victim Hero – the character who is taken, harmed, injured, or killed by the villain
• Hero – the major character who is the person around which the story is told. There are two types of hero’s: the seeker hero relies agrees to liquidate the misfortune suffered by another character, the victim, and so heavily on the donor to perform there quest, whereas the victim-hero directly suffers from the action of the villain and therefore needs to overcome a weakness to complete their quest
• Helper – usually accompanies hero on the quest and aids them in struggles encountered on their journey
• Dispatcher – Sends the hero on the quest
• Donor – provides hero with with a magical agent or advise to help him defeat the villain
• Princess – usually represents the reward of the hero’s quest
• Princess’s Father – often set’s the hero difficult tasks to prevent them from marrying the princess
• False Hero – a character who appears to be good but it quickly becomes obvious they are corrupt once they are unmasked (usually towards the end of the narrative)

Claude Levi-Strauss – Binary Opposites

• The idea that we need binary opposition to create drama and interest in a narrative structure
• This creates a dominant message (ideology) – So in this way audiences are encouraged to make a judgements about characters, groups, places, history, society etc.
• texts can be seen to either support the dominant ideologies of a society, which would make it a reactionary text ,or to challenge, question or undermines the dominant ideologies of society, in which case it could be seen as a radical text.

CONCEPT	strongly agree	agree	neutral	agree	strongly agree	OPPOSITE CONCEPT
GOOD			✔			BAD
REACTIONARY					✔	RADICAL
FEMALE					✔	MALE
IN CONTROL					✔	OUT OF CONTROL
WHITE			✔			BLACK
URBAN	✔					REGIONAL
RICH					✔	POOR
HAPPY					✔	SAD
ROCK			✔			REGGAE
QUIET					✔	LOUD