Useful Narrative ideas/theories

For anyone aspiring to the higher grades you'll need to be able quote and evaluate eminent thinkers in the field of narrative. Below are an assortment of key ideas from some major theorists.


These fist two summarise what a narrative is.

“NARRATIVE REFERS TO STORYMAKING AND STORY STRUCTURE. THE NARRATIVE OF A PROGRAMME OR AN ARTICLE IS NOTJUST ITS STORYLINE. IT IS ALSO HOW THE STORY IS ORGANISED AND ABOUT HOW THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE READER IS ORGANISED BY THE WAYS IN WHICH THE STORY IS TOLD” (BURTON, 1990)


“FILMS HAVE A PRIMARY FUNCTION OF TELLING A STORY. THE IMAGES ARE ORGANISED AND MADE SENSE OF AROUND THIS FUNCTION. ESPECIALLY FEATURE FILMS WHICH ARE GIVEN A ‘TREATMENT’ IN TERMS OF IT’S PLOT LINE AND THIS IS PERCIEVED AS BEING WHAT THE FILM IS ABOUT” (ROWE, 1996)


The following are multi discipline, they can be used for questions which cover narrative as well as those which are concerned with audience.


“NARRATIVE REFERS TO THE STRATEGIES,CODES AND CONVENTIONS ( INCLUDING MISE-EN-SCENE AND LIGHTING) EMPLOYED TO ORGANISE A STORY. PRIMARILY, NARRATIVE CINEMA IS ONE THAT USES THESE STRATEGIES AS A MEANS OF REPRODUCING THE ‘REAL’ WORLD, ONE WHICH THE SPECTSTOR CAN EITHER IDENTIFY WITH OR CONSIDER TO BE WITHIN THE REALSM OF POSSIBILITY” (HAYWARD)



“NARRATIVE DEVELOPS ON THE BASIS OF ‘CAUSE AND EFFECT’. AS EXPERIENCED FILM GOERS WE LEARN TO EXPECT AND ANTICIPATE THIS CHAIN” (ROWE, 1996)


“OFTEN WHAT WE CALL SUSPENSE IS NO MORE THAN THE DELAYED FULFILLMENT OF AN EXPECTATION” (BORDWELL AND THOMPSON, 1979)