Narrative Theory - Roland Barthes.

According to Roland Barthes, there are two types of narrative:

• Open narrative is like a soap opera in which the narrative (story) is on-going. This means that there could be multiple story lines going at once, one problem may be solved but another one will start so there will be an unlimited amount of episodes.
• Closed narrative is like a single programme. This normally means that at the end of the programme all problems will be resolved.

Although sometimes both of these can be present at once. For example in series and serials. In both of these there is a closed narrative within a long-running open narrative.

• Series is normally running over a long period of time. Soaps are a good example of a series for they run for years.
• Serials are normally over a short period of time. Normally a few weeks or months. Most programmes shown on tv today are serials.

The 5 Codes.

Throughout any media element, the 5 codes are present. These are:

• The Action Code - this applies to any action that suggests further action is necessary. For example, if someone produces a ring to propose, we wonder what the action of the other person will be and what the outcome will be.
• The Enigma Code - this is anything in a story that hasn't got an explination which raises questions to the audience which makes them demand an answer. This normally runs throughout.
• The Semantic Code - anything in a text that connotates to the audience.
• The Cultural Code - this is anything that points towards our shared knowledge about the way our world works and things in our culture that we see as normal.
• The Symbolic Code - this is only explainable if you understand binary opposites.

Binary Opposites

Levi Straus believed that to every one thing there must be something making it so. For example, for something to be black, there must be a white and for something to be good there must be something bad to oppose it.

Ideology

This is an organised collection of ideas. It can be a belief that helps explain the world around us. For example, people have different ideologies about what happens after we die. e.g. we are re-incarnated; we go to heaven etc.