What are the basic requirements of a narrative What is the structure of the ideal narrative narratology The theory of the structures of narrative To investigate a structure or to present a structural description the ID: 240915
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Slide1
Narrative TheorySlide2
What are the basic requirements of a narrative?
What is the structure of the “ideal” narrative?Slide3
“
narratology
The theory of the structures of narrative. To investigate a structure, or to present a 'structural description', the
narratologist
dissects the narrative phenomena into their component parts and then attempts to determine functions and relationships.”
“Practically all theories of narrative distinguish between WHAT is narrated (the 'story') and HOW it is narrated (the 'discourse').” (
Jahn
)Slide4
What is a narrative?
“
Anything that tells or presents a story, be it by text, picture, performance, or a combination of these. Hence novels, plays, films, comic strips, etc., are narratives.”
A story
is a “sequence of events involving characters. 'Events' include both natural and
nonnatural
happenings (such as floods and car accidents). Characters get involved by being agents (causing an event), victims (patients), or beneficiaries (being affected by an event).” (
Jahn
)Slide5
So makes up
a narrative?
Features
(agreed to by most):
It has animate characters
It has events (usually several)
The events are logically (usually causally) related
The events occur over time
Classic story runs on a linear timeline
May start with birth of main character
However, storytelling may skip back and forth on the timeline
Flashbacks
Flashforwards
There is some form of narrationSlide6
A man was born, he lived and he died.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.Slide7
Musical examples
Mark Dimming/Teen Angel
John Hiatt/Have a Little Faith in Me
Bruce Springsteen/The RisingSlide8
Mark Dinning - Teen Angel Lyrics
Teen Angel.. Teen Angel.. Teen Angel..
woo
woo
(verse 1)
That fateful night,
The car was stalled
Upon the railroad tracks.
I pulled you out
and we were safe,
But you went running back.
(Chorus)
Teen Angel, can you hear me?
Teen Angel, can you see me?
Are you somewhere up above,
And am I still your own true love?
(verse 2)
What was it you were looking for,
That took your life that night?
They said they found my high school ring
clutched in your fingers tight...
(chorus)
(verse 3)
Just sweet sixteen,
and now you're gone.
They've taken you away
I'll never kiss your lips again
They buried you today...
(chorus)(2x)
Teen Angel... Answer me... please... Slide9
John Hiatt
Have a Little Faith in Me
When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Just let my love throw a spark
And have a little faith in me
And when the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try
And have a little faith in me
And
Chorus:
Have a little faith in me (repeat)
When your secret heart
Cannot speak so easily
Come here
darlin
From a whisper start
To have a little faith in me
And when your back’s against the wall
Just turn around and you will see
I will catch, I will catch your fall baby
Just have a little faith in me
Chorus
Sung over fade:
Well,
Ive
been loving you for such a long time girl
Expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me
You see time, time is our friend
cause for us there is no end
And all you
gotta
do is have a little faith in me
I said I will hold you up, I will hold you up
Your love gives me strength enough
So have a little faith in meSlide10
Bruce Springsteen
The Rising
Cant see
nothin
in front of me
Cant see
nothin
coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I cant feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I’ve gone
How far I’ve gone, how high I’ve climbed
On my backs a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile of line
Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight
Left the house this morning
Bells ringing filled the air
Wearin
the cross of my calling
On wheels of fire I come
rollin
down here
Chorus
Li,li
,
li,li,li,li
,
li,li,li
Theres
spirits above and behind me
Faces gone black, eyes
burnin
bright
May their precious blood bind me
Lord, as I stand before your fiery light
Li,li
,
li,li,li,li
,
li,li,li
I see you Mary in the garden
In the garden of a thousand sighs
Theres
holy pictures of our children
Dancin
in a sky filled with light
May I feel your arms around me
May I feel your blood mix with mine
A dream of life comes to me
Like a catfish
dancin
’ on the end of my line
Sky of blackness and sorrow ( a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness ( a dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear ( a dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow ( a dream of life)
Your
burnin
wind fills my arms tonight
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life
ChorusSlide11
Typical narrative structure
A wide variety of narratives can be said to follow a basic structure, as outlined by FreitagSlide12
Freitag’s Pyramid/TriangleSlide13
How classic narratives usually work
We start in some time and place, with the world unproblematic—in ‘equilibrium.’ That is, things are normal and seem to be okay, with people adjusted to the conditions they are in. That may not mean that all are happy, but usually the portrayal is of a fairly satisfactory situation.Slide14
Exposition often occurs during this stage—the audience is made aware of important ‘
backstory
,’ the setting, characters and other important informationSlide15Slide16
Then
Something happens to disturb the equilibrium, upset the people or threaten their happiness. Often this is the result of actions taken by an antagonist—a character that will be in conflict with the protagonist (the main positive character who will soon be revealed or chosen). Slide17
Introduction of conflict
Conflict is introduced, often through the actions of a malevolent character
In some cases conflict is longstanding and someone has finally decided to do something about it
The protagonist may recognize a “lack”—a divergence between what she wants and what she hasSlide18
Conflict
Conflict may be of several sorts
Human (or humanlike character) v. human
Human v. nature
Human v. society
Human v. technologySlide19
Someone (usually the protagonist) must take action to restore the equilibriumSlide20Slide21
Rising action
Though the pyramid represents a smoothly and constantly rising intensity of action, a story normally presents a series of conflicts that become more intense as the story progresses
There may be rises and falls in intensity, but the overall trend is upward
The individual events usually are linked to the main storyline in some waySlide22
Rising action
The protagonist must overcome obstacles to his success, often proving himself worthy as a result. The trials become progressively difficult and often include direct or indirect confrontation with the antagonist.
Sometimes one or more helper characters are involvedSlide23
Rising action often includes individual subplots/conflicts
workbookproject.com/?p=207Slide24Slide25
Climax
Some major confrontation, conflict or turning point marks the climax
Good guy battles bad guy to the death
Wife finds out that husband has been having an affair and confronts him with it
Kid takes math test
Lawyers finish making their cases and the jury decidesSlide26Slide27
Falling action
The intensity of conflict often falls off fairly quickly after the climax
climax rarely occurs at the very end of the narrative
There are sometimes continuing conflicts of one sort or another
The implications of the outcome of the climax are presentedSlide28Slide29
Denouement
Any remaining questions are answered
The detective tells the former suspect why the real criminal committed the crime
A new equilibrium is established
The new conditions may be quite different from those at the outsetSlide30
Variations
In episodic television, etc. there may be a number of minor narratives that reach conclusion within a major one that does not
Lost
Often there are multiple protagonists and/or antagonists
Characters
may not represent classic ‘types’
Anti-
heros
(
Sopranos
,
Grand Theft Auto, Dirty Harry
)Slide31
Variations
Lack of
resolution (aperture)
Lack of coherence/causal
chain
Character-drivenSlide32
TV Narrative is open-ended. Many episodes are used to tell a story. These stories unfold in a “story world,” a setting or situation in which the characters live.
4
3
2
1
The Story World of the Series (Plot A)
The individual episode
Each episode has its
own storyline. This
is often called Plot B.
In some instances there are multiple plots (B, C, D) in each episode—Friends, Seinfeld, for example.
The Story World establishes a context
in which weekly or daily episodes unfold. The
overall plot of the series moves slowly. This is
considered Plot A.