The document discusses several narrative theorists and their contributions. Vladimir Propp analyzed over 100 Russian fairy tales and identified character roles that frequently appeared, such as the villain, hero, donor, and dispatcher. Tzvetan Todorov believes most narratives follow a structure of equilibrium being disrupted by a force, then returning to equilibrium. Roland Barthes identified five narrative codes that engage the reader: action, enigma, symbolic, semic, and cultural. Claude Levi-Strauss examined how myths unconsciously reflect a culture's values through binary oppositions.

1. Narrative Theorists
Narrative – the way in which a
story is told in both fictional and
non-fictional media texts.

2. Vladimir Propp
• Vladimir Propp is a Russian critic and literary theorist.
• He has analysed over 100 Russian fairy-tales in the 1920.
• He said that it was possible to classify the characters and their actions
into clearly defined roles and functions.
• Star Wars is a prime example for Propp’s pricise model, but a
significant number of more recent films such as Pulp Fiction do not.
• The model is more useful although it highlights the similarities
between the seemingly quite different stories.

3. Propp’s Character Roles
• The Villain – the opposite to the hero
• The hero – seeks something
• The donor – helps the hero out by providing magical objects
• The dispatcher – sends the hero his own way
• The helper – always the character who supports the hero
• False hero – the role where you assume the role of the hero
• The princess and her father – this is like an reward for the hero,
however the princess needs protection from the villain as well.

4. Tzvetan Todorov
• Bulgarian literary theorists
• Believes and suggests most narratives start with a stat of equilibrium
in which life is oppose to be normal and happy.
• This state of normality is interrupted by a force and this has to be
fought off so they’ll be able to return to a state of equilibrium.
• A model lie this can be easily applied to a wide range of films.

5. Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes is a French semiologist and he suggested that narrative works
with five different codes which active the reader for it to be able to make
sense of it.
Barthes Codes –
 Action – a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through
action for example a shoot-out..
 Enigma – a narrative device that puts the audience on the edge of their
seats and teases them and this is done by presenting a puzzle or riddle to
be solved. Works to delay the story’s ending pleasurably.
 Symbolic – Connation
 Semic – Denotation
 Cultural – a device which is narrative and this helps the audience to
recognise as being part of a culture.

6. Claudes Levi-Strauss
• Social Anthropologist.
• Studied myths of tribal cultures.
• Examined how stories unconsciously reflect the values, beliefs and
myths of a culture.
• These are usually expressed in the form of binary oppositions.
• Strauss research has been adapted by media theorists to reveal
underlying themes and symbolic oppositions in media text.
Binary Oppositions
• A conflict between two qualities or terms.