Narrative, Plot & Genre
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The lecture focuses on narrative and genre in media studies, exploring the distinctions between story and plot and the structuring of narratives. It discusses key narrative theories, including Propp's character roles and functions, Todorov's equilibrium model, and Barthes' codes that engage the audience. Additionally, it examines genre classification and evolution, including hybrid genres and societal perceptions of realism in media.
Narrative, Plot & Genre
- 1. MD103 Introduction To Media Studies I Dr Trish Morgan
- 3. In this lecture narrative story/plot genre
- 4. narrative What is narrative? What are some useful theories of narrative? story/plot What is the difference between story and plot? genre What is genre? How is media classified?
- 5. narrative a way of organising spatial and temporal data into a cause- effect chain of events with a beginning, a middle and end that embodies a judgement about the nature of those events (Branigan, 1992: 3)
- 6. narrative Narrative theory suggests that stories, in whatever media, and whatever culture share certain features However, particular media and cultures are able or driven to ‘tell’ stories in different ways
- 7. Propp (1928) structuralist argued for the similarity of characters and actions across stories
- 8. Propp (1928) 31 functions character roles/ 8 spheres of action
- 9. Propp (1928) 31 functions move the story along predictable the same act can function in different ways
- 10. to move the story along Voldemort learns why Avada Kedavra didn’t work on Harry and learns how to overcome it predictable the bad guy loses same act functioning in different ways Dumbledore’s Army: defiance against Ministry of Magic, practical defence, Dumbledore suddenly power-hungry?
- 11. 8 character roles/spheres of action The hero seeks something motivated by lack - of money, a mother etc The villain struggles against the hero The donor prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object The (magical) helper helps the hero in the quest
- 12. 8 character roles/spheres of action The princess marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative Her father rewards the hero The dispatcher makes the lack known and sends the hero off False hero/anti-hero/usurper takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess
- 13. The villain - Voldemort The Hero - Harry The donor - Dumbledore The (magical) helper - Ron, Hermione, Dobby The princess - Ginny (later addition), also Harry’s mother, friends Her father - Harry’s father, Dumbledore, teachers The dispatcher - the scar / connection with Voldemort False hero/anti-hero/usurper - Snape, Ministry of Magic personnel
- 14. Joseph Campbell
- 15. Todorov structuralist all stories begin with an equilibrium this equilibrium is disrupted by an event this sets in motion another series of events the cycle closes with a second, but different equilibrium
- 16. Todorov not just beginning, middle and end judgment or labelling of the initial conditions helpful to ask how else could these initial conditions have been set up? (both in fiction and factual media)
- 17. Barthes 5 codes activate or engage the user to make sense of the text 2 are internal to the text point outwards from the text and 3 relate it to the broader culture
- 18. Internal Codes The enigma (or hermeneutic) code sets up and (usually) solves major puzzles The action (or proairetic) code makes complex actions readable through small details
- 19. External Codes The semic code is a set of inferences built up around characters The symbolic code substitutes concrete for abstract elements The cultural or referential code anchors the text in its historical context
- 20. Levi-Strauss dependence on binary oppositions one quality in the binary is less valued than the other looking further than plot events for deeper arrangements of themes
- 21. Structuring Oppositions: Afghanistan and Iraq East West feudal modern despotism democracy fundamentalism freedom dirty weapons surgical strikes evil good
- 22. story/plot how stories are told what information is withheld or supplied? A story is all the events in a narrative, both the ones explicitly presented and those the viewer infers A plot is everything visibly and audibly present in the film before us (Bordwell & Thompson, 2008: 76)
- 23. story/plot A story can be assembled, at the end of a narrative A plot is what is constructed for us (Bordwell & Thompson, 2008: 76)
- 24. genre all media is classified by: makers marketers reviewers censors consumers
- 25. genre classifications shape: status ability to get made how they are circulated ability to withstand censorship
- 26. genre genre means type it is one of the forms of classification of media texts western romance horror
- 27. genre characteristics of genres Settings: landscape, iconography Characterisation: character types, what each character represents Story: preoccupations or themes Filming: camera angles Sound: speech delivery, use/s of music
- 28. genre sameness expectation and repetition or repetition with difference
- 29. light bulb joke genre intended to produce laughter depends on familiarity with genre sets up expectations of audience elements: light bulb + group of people around which stereotypes exist + number
- 30. genre hybridity and intertextuality some media texts can be hybrids of two or more genres producers and audiences can play with the conventions of these genres
- 31. genre genre can also be identified by ... semantic elements: music, character types, familiar objects, settings syntactic elements: plot structure, character relationships pragmatic elements: those contributed by fans and audiences
- 32. genre now seen as fluid romance / chick flick evolution from ‘knight in shining armour’ now we have female hero, male figure of interest, uncertainty, mistakes, coincidences intensifies audience’s desire for them to get together
- 33. verisimilitude connection to real life claims to higher status of genres based on verisimilitude gendering of status: ‘male’ forms lay claim to higher status more ‘realistic’ less emotional not ‘escapist’
- 34. verisimilitude cultural verisimilitude: making reference to social order or culture around them formal verisimilitude: the conventions audiences have grown used to