Narrative structure

Narrative structure, a literary element, is generally described as the structural framework that
underlies the order and manner in which a narrative is presented to a reader, listener, or viewer. The
narrative text structures are the plot and the setting.

Narrative structure is about story and plot: the content of a story and the form used to tell the story.
Story refers to the dramatic action as it might be described in chronological order. Plot refers to how
the story is told. Story is about trying to determine the key conflicts, main characters, setting and
events. Plot is about how, and at what stages, the key conflicts are set up and resolved. [1]

What is Narrative Structure?

Narrative structure is about two things: the content of a story and the form used to tell the story.
Two common ways to describe these two parts of narrative structure are story and plot. Story
refers to the raw materials of dramatic action as they might be described in chronological order.
Plot refers to how the story is told the form of storytelling, or the structure, that the story follows.
If we want to analyze narrative structure, we can use who, what, and where questions to
look at the story or content of a movie. How and when questions are used to examine plot
structure. Conventionally, both story and plot are described in terms of how a characters life is
disrupted by an event or change in his/her situation; this causes a series of conflicts that the
character(s) must face, including the major conflict that is eventually resolved at the end of the
film. Conflict in this model can take many forms, be it emotional, interpersonal, or even
between the character and his/her physical environment. To describe story in a film, we would
need to answer the following questions:
Where is the story set?
What event starts the story?
Who are the main characters?
What conflict(s) do they face? What is at stake?
What happens to the characters as they face this conflict? What is the outcome of this
conflict?
What is the ultimate impact on the characters? To describe the plot structure of the movie, we
would need to answer these questions:
How and when is the major conflict in the story set up?
How and when are the main characters introduced?
How is the story moved along so that the characters must face the central conflict?
How and when is the major conflict set up to propel the film to its conclusion?
 How and when does the film resolve most of the major conflicts set up at the outset? In each
case, story and plot are slightly different ways of analyzing a movie. From the audiences
perspective, story and plot refer to the different ways movie narratives construct meaning for
spectators. Story is about trying to determine the key conflicts, main characters, setting and
events. Plot is about how, and at what stages, the key conflicts are set up and resolved. Whats
interesting about most of the movies made in Hollywood is that, while the stories may change,
the fundamental plot structure is virtually identical.
Description

The setup (act one) is where all of the main characters and their basic situations are introduced, and
contains the primary level of characterization (exploring the character's backgrounds and
personalities). A problem is also introduced, which is what drives the story forward.

The second act, the conflict, is the bulk of the story, and begins when the inciting incident
(or catalyst) sets things into motion. This is the part of the story where the characters go through
major changes in their lives as a result of what is happening; this can be referred to as the character
arc, or character development.

The third act, or resolution, is when the problem in the story boils over, forcing the characters to
confront it, allowing all the elements of the story to come together and inevitably leading to the
ending.
plot, setting, themes and charaters.
The Elements of Narrative Fiction Setting Setting is the time and location in which a
story takes place. For some stories, the setting is very important while others aren't.
Plot The plot is the events to develop the basic idea. The plot is planned and has a
beginning, middle, and end Conflict The conflict is very important to the plot. There
is no plot without the conflict. Conflict is the opposition of forces which makes the
plot move.

Setting

What do we mean by setting?Setting is where the story takes placeSetting situates the story in a time
and place, it gives the story a context which the viewer interprets it. A storys setting helps the viewer
understand the position of the story their are engaging with.

mise-en-scne

The mise-en-scne A term taken from French theatre, mise-en-scne is quite a simple concept: it refers
to all of the things which are 'put in the scene' of a film: the setting and props; people and
how they move, look and dress; and abstract design principles in the frame, such as colour, line, shape
and plane. The concept enables [us] to consider and describe what is in a frame or series of frames of a
film at a slightly more abstracted level than just 'what's happening'

categories of conflictMan against Man

Man against Nature

Man against Society

Man against Machine

Good plots contain the DRAMA = DESIRE + DANGER

The Narrative Structure Exposition meeting the characters, establishing the setting, setting the tone
establishing the normal of the film world

Rising Action the central conflict is introduced and the tension between the protagonist and the
antagonist begins to mount

Climax The climax is the turning point, which marks a change, for the better or the worse, in the
protagonists future.

Falling Action The major action has happened. This is the aftermath . This is the sorting out of the
major conflicts resolution. Dnouement/Resolution the creation of the new normal. The conflict is
resolved
Relationship Between Narrative and Genre
Genre and narrative exists in all media texts; one cant be present without the other as
everything contains some sort of narrative and therefore fits into a genre because of the way the
story is told any communication has to use shared conventions not only of language itself but
also the more complex expectations of genre (audiences respond to a text because of the genre
and the way the narrative is told, the two are metalanguages, they suggest to an audience how
to read a text due to previous genre and narrative knowledge audiences will have an
understanding of what the text is trying to tell them and how it wants them to respond.

For different genres the narrative will be closed in different ways.

Narrative is also often recognised for the different devices it employs to engage the audience.
Most narratives move in a straight line and follow the basic chronology of a story unfolding. This
is called a linear narrative A number of devices can be used to realign the narrative e.g.
flashback. A flashback allows a character to remember events that shed light on events currently
taking place.
A complex narrative allows events taking place in two different locations at the same time to be
shown alongside each other. This provides the audience with a privileged view and called
parallel action.Split screen techniques are used to show two narratives shown simultaneously on
screen.Some media texts need the audience to find logical sequencing in narratives by denying
this e.g. a character that died reappears.
The concept of genre is useful in looking at the ways in which media texts are organised,
categorised and consumed. It also suggests that certain types of media material which can be
recognised through certain elements such as style, narrative and structure.In identifying genre is
the look or iconography of the text.Genre is a formula that is often repeated again and again.
Certain actors can be associated with different genres e.g. Jim Carrey-Comedy, Robert De Niro-
Crime/Gangster or Harrison Ford-Sci-Fi/Action Audiences like the concept of genre because it is
reassuring and familiar.

REPRESENTATION
The media dont just offer us a window on the world. They dont just present reality, they
represent it. Media producers inevitably make choices: they select and combine, they make
events into stories, they create characters, they invite us to see the world in a particular way.
Media offer us versions of reality. But audiences also compare media with their own experiences,
and make judgments about how far they can be trusted. Media representations can be real in
some ways and not in others: we may know that something is fantasy, yet it can still tell us about
reality
Is this text intended to be realistic? Why do some texts seem more realistic than others?
Fantasy Look at a fantasy text, such as a film or a novel or a
computer game. Study the setting,the storyline and the characters
actions, and look at how they are portrayed. What is realistic and
unrealistic about this text? Can it be both at the same time?
Telling the truth. How do media claim to tell the truth about the world? How do they try to
seem authentic?

Documentary
Watch a documentary that deals with an issue you already know
about: it could be about school or young people, or about a hobby or
interest you have. Does the documentary give an accurate picture?
How does it claim to tell the truth?
Presence and absence. What is included and excluded from the media world? Who speaks, and
who is silenced?
2: Representing social groups Critics have often argued that the
media ignore minority or less powerful groups, or show them in a
negative light. The proportion of women or people from ethnic
minorities who appear on television, for example, is generally much
lower than the proportion in society.Researchers also find that non-
white characters are more likely to be shown as criminals or villains;
and that women are less likely to be shown in powerful roles. What do
you think are the consequences of this situation? Can you think of any
important exceptions to this,and what do they tell you?
Bias and objectivity. Do media texts support particular views about the world? Do they put
across moral or political values?
1: In the news
Most newspapers have a particular political line, or a particular party
they will support.This is normally very clear from the editorial sections
of the papers, where journalists are allowed to present their own views
directly. Yet political beliefs may also influence the kind of new stories
they choose to cover, and how they interpret and present them.
Compare how a couple of newspapers cover a political story, or an
election. How are their beliefs shown in the choice of language and
images? Does bias in the news necessarily influence readers?
Stereotyping. How do media represent particular social groups? Are those representations
accurate?
People in drama
Take a couple of popular TV drama serials or soap operas. What roles
do women or ethnic minority characters play in them? Are any of them
obviously stereotyped? Why do stereotypes seem to be so
necessary?
Interpretations. Why do audiences accept some media representations as true, or reject others
as false?
Influences. Do media representations affect our views of particular social groups or issues?

Realism.

Realism
The representation of reality is a huge area of representation study and a key aspect of media
studies. When we turn to the study of documentary we shall find that realism is a key issue for
that genre (it is the most important convention of documentary) and realism plays a central role
in some aspects of intertextuality and post-modernism.
Just as everything in the media is a representation (we do not experience the thing itself)
everything is also unreal (the process of mediation is artificial and so therefore is everything so
mediated); in the media we deal with the representation of reality. Text are therefore always in
the situation of
The realism of a media text is a key part of our relationship with it. Some media texts (the news,
documentaries, etc) are required to have a very strong sense of realism for us to accept them
whereas others (cartoons, comics, computer games, surreal comedy, etc) can be as seemingly
unreal as they like and still be accepted by us (most media texts fall some where in between these
two poles); it all depends on what the text is doing and claiming. This is the texts discourse of
realism; how realistic it is, why, and how.
The realism of a media text can rest on a variety of different factors and there are many ways of
establishing a media text as real (see the appendix below) but what is important is that we, the
audience, treat texts as real enough for us. Every text is considered by its audience in terms of
should I accept this as realistic and do I accept this as realistic. This is the audiences modality
judgment about the text; is the mode of realism and the type of text appropriate to one another,

The media always mediate or encode reality. It is therefore impossible to gain a first-
hand direct experience of the world via the media, no matter how transparent or
virtual their representation of reality is.
Even live sports coverage and the News involves selection and manipulation of images
that effects the reality of the text.
However, audiences expect what they see, listen to or read to have some connection to
their own lives and experiences, or to appear to be based upon some recognisable reality.
This then helps us to identify and understand the text and its meaning.
We often judge how successful a text is by measuring it against our own experiences.
What is real therefore can become a subjective and controversial concept, as what one
person considers to be realistic may not be considered so from another perspective.
Assessing the realism of a media text
There are 4 criteria often used to assess the reality of a media text:
1. Surface realism this means the details have to be right. So a film set in the 60s would
need the right costumes, hairstyles, sets, etc.
2. Inner or emotional realism the audience need to feel that they can identify with the
situation characters are in and share or feel their emotions.
3. Plausibility of the plot for example, the high volume of dramatic murders and disasters
in soaps often are seen as implausible.
4. Technical and symbolic codes for realism There are certain techniques that are used
to enhance the realism of texts technically, such as the handheld camera, subtle or
unimposing music, surround sound, even real time.

Studying media representation therefore inevitably raises difficult questions about ideologies and
values. In some instances, these values are quite overt. For instance, students should find it fairly
easy to identify the political 'line' of a given newspaper, at least as this is expressed in the
editorial section; however, they might find it more challenging to identify how that line is
manifested in the selection and treatment of particular news stories, both in words and in images.
Here again, comparison between different newspapers is a useful technique. Another aspect of
representation that older students will be familiar with is stereotyping. They will be familiar with
the argument that the media ignore minority or less powerful groups, or show them in a negative
light. However, it is important that they should consider the functions of stereotypes, both for
producers and for audiences; and avoid the facile conclusion that stereotypes can simply be
replaced with 'accurate' representations. As we have seen, students are frequently keen to assess
media representations in terms of their 'realism', but they should be encouraged to reflect on
these judgements and the different criteria that are used in making them. In this respect, it is
important to consider texts that are clearly marked as 'fantasy', or that play with the distinction
between fantasy and reality, as well as documentary-style
Telling the truth
WHAT IS MEDIA EDUCATION?
Media education is education about the media. This is not the same as education through the
media for example, using TV or the internet to learn about other school subjects. Media
education focuses on the media we all encounter in our everyday lives outside school the TV
programmes we watch and enjoy, the magazines we read, the movies we see, the music we listen
to. These media are all around us, and they play a significant part in our lives. Media help us to
understand the world and our place in it. This is why it is so important for us to understand and
study them. Media education involves making media as well as analysing media. In this booklet,
though, our main emphasis is on analysing.

3: Access
Mainstream media are often dominated by powerful groups. Howev
er, many TV and radio stations have access slots that allow ordinary
people to present their views: this might be in the form of a phone-in
or a studio talk show, or a separate programme. Many minority
groups also publish newspapers or make videotapes to communicat
e ideas on issues that concern them. Try to get hold of an example of
a minority newspaper or magazine, or watch an access show on TV.
How is it different from mainstream media both in what it is saying,
and in how it is saying it?