Narrative Theorists

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Tzvetan Todorov

Todorov’s believed that there was 5 steps in each story, of which followed chronology.

The steps are as follows:

1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption
3. Realisation
4. Restored Order
5. Equilibrium

Examples of his Theory include the TV series Sherlock Holmes, and The Simpsons.

Roland Barthes.

His theory:

His objective was to Influence the development of schools of theory including the following: Structuralism, Semiotics and Social theory.

Following this he  started to narrow down the action of a piece of text into five codes can be put into any narrative, these being:

• The Hermeneutic code - the voice of the truth
• The enigma code - empirical voice.
• The semantic code - The voice of the person , additional meaning by way of connotation
• The symbolic code - Gives broader and deeper set of meaning
• The cultural code - The voice of science, looks at audiences wider cultural knowledge, morality or ideology.

Claude Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss’ theory was known as the Binary Oppositions

An example of this would be:

• Good and Bad.
• Rich or Poor.
• North vs South.

Joseph Campbell

The Hero's Journey - steps in a story

1. The ordinary world.
2. Call to adventure.
3. Refusal to the call.
4. Meeting with the mentor.
5. Crossing the threshold.
6. Tests, allies and enemies.
7. Approach.
8. Ordeal.
9. Reward.
10. Road back.
11. Resurrection.
12. Return with the elixir.

Jean-François Lyotard

He believed that knowledge was transferred through narratives and that knowledge = power.

There will always be a grand narrative, with a message given to the audience. With a story for example: A tragedy.

• Science understanding of the world through logic and what we can objectively prove.
• Religion claim to understand and be able to explain how the world works, eg christianity has the bible.