introduction to narrative

Narrative explores the conventions of:

• Genre
• Character
• Form
• Time

Narrative means: how the story is told.

There are 4 key types of narrative, these are - linear, open,closed and circular structure.

Linear

beginning                                                                          

(audience introduced to the characters and the story)

Middle

(Story builds)

End

(closure)

Open

The audience are left to wonder what happens next, and have to make sense of it themselves. e.g inception

closed

There is a definite ending; a clear conclusion for the audience.

Circular

The narrative begins at the end - events, (often with the climax), and the audience is taken on a journey - arriving back at where they started.(e.g pulp fiction)

There are many theorists who use theory to explain narrative structure, i will be studying four of them:

• Propp
• Barthes
• Todorov
• Levi-Strauss