Narrative
Stuart Price’s Media Studies deals reasonably fully with different approaches to the understanding of narrative, providing a series of structural models. Chapter 5 of his book is entitled “Cinema: History and Theory” and contains a section “Ways Of Understanding Film Narrative” that begins on p.245 in the 1995 edition.
Price outlines Vladimir Propp’s model based on his fairy tale research which refers to types of character and then events that involve them (see 1a and 1b below). Following that there are criticisms of Propp, for example that it founders when applied to more complex art. ‘Simpler’ texts such as Star Wars or Platoon seem to map onto it with significant success. Price’s remark at the bottom of p.247 sums up his approval of Propp when he says that Propp’s system enphasises the role of character in structuring narrative. Is it that Propp is valuable in helping to understand genre but is of limited if any use in approaching narrative from an auteur perspective because it is so structural?
Price outlines next the systems of two other theorists attempting to define common features of narrative structures, Todorov with his ‘equilibrium and disequilibrium’ theory (see 2 below) and Branigan and his off-putting idea of “categories of information” (p.248) (see 3 below).
Students should attempt to read on but Stuart Price seems best read selectively e.g. he is useful also on ‘positioning’ through narrative (p.249) and time as presented in narrative (p.251) but the ‘participants’ material on pp.250-1 is more difficult.
1a - Propp - Characters as Function
- The HERO, who is the character who seeks something.
- The VILLAIN, who opposes or blocks the hero’s quest.
- The DONOR, who provides an object which has some magic property.
- The DISPATCHER, who sends the hero on his way by providing a message.
- The FALSE HERO, who disrupts the hero’s hope of reward by pressing false claims.
- The HELPER, who aids the hero.
- The PRINCESS,who acts as reward for the hero and as object of the villain’s scheming.
- Her father, who acts to reward the hero for his efforts.
1b - Propp: Actions as Function
The actions or events described by Propp are as follows:
Preparation
A community, kingdom, family; an ordered state of being:
- A member of the family/community leaves home.
- A warning is given to the community or its leaders/a rule is imposed on the hero.
- The warning is discounted/the rule is broken.
- The villain attempts to discover something about the victim.
- The villain discovers the required information.
- The villain tries to deceive the victim to gain an advantage.
- The victim is deceived by the villain and unwittingly helps him/her.
Complication
A state of disorder:
- The villain harms a member of the family/community.
- One of the family/community desires something.
- The hero is sent out to find what is desired.
- The hero plans action against the villain.
Transference
- The hero leaves home.
- The hero is either tested or attacked; he meets the challenge and receives a magical agent or a helper
- The hero reacts to the donor.
- The hero arrives at or is transferred to the place where he will fulfil his quest.
Struggle
- There is a struggle in a specific setting between hero and villain.
- The hero is branded.
- The villain is overcome.
- The state of disorder is settled.
Return
- The hero returns.
- The hero is pursued.
- The hero escapes or is rescued from the pursuit.
- The hero arrives at home or at some other place and is not recognised.
- A false hero presses a claim.
- A task is set for the hero.
- The task is accomplished.
Recognition
- The hero is recognised.
- The false hero or villain is unmasked.
- The false hero or villain is punished.
- The hero attains the princess and the wealth and power of the state.
2 - Todorov: Equilibrium and Disequilibrium
- a state of eqilibrium-all is in order;
- a disruption of the ordered state by an event;
- a recognition that a disruption has taken place;
- an attempt to repair the damage of the disruption;
- a return to some kind of equilibrium.
3 - Branigan’s Categories of Information
- introduction of setting and characters;
- explanation of a state of affairs;
- initiating event;
- emotional response or statement of a goal by the protagonist;
- complicating actions
- outcome
- reactions to the outcome.
Further reading:
- BURTON More Than Meets The Eye (pp.127-137)
- O’SULLIVAN et al Studying The Media (pp.92-100)
- PRICE Media Studies (pp.245-253)
