Theories of Narrative 1

Narrative Chronology¨ Narrative: The story - what happens or what is depicted¨ Narrator: The person who tells the story (first or third

person)¨ Linear/Chronological – Told in order events occurred in¨ Non Linear – Events told out of sequence¨ Flashback – A story begins, then travels backwards in time

to show more important background information, before continuing: This is an example of non-linear narrative

¨ Parallel storylines / multi-thread narratives – Several story elements occurring at the same time

¨ Inter-cutting – Editing between one storyline and another¨ Cyclical narrative – A story that goes round in a circle¨ Narrative enigma – mysteries which engage the audience

Narrative Positioning¨ Audience positioning – the way we are manipulated to

see things from one character’s point of view¨ Narratives can be dramatized (somebody tells the story)

or undramatized (the story is just shown, without commentary)

¨ Dramatized narrative - somebody narrates or tells the story

¨ Undramatized narrative - the story is just shown, without commentary or narration

¨ However, undramatized narratives can still position audiences: Think about the character you see or hear first, or who dominates screen time

Theories of Narrative 2

Narrative Voice¨ First person narration - The story is told by the main

character, using “I”¨ This is a form of restricted narration – when we see an

event through the viewpoint of only one person. This can add surprise as we only discover events alongside them, and means that we are piecing the puzzle together as the characters do

¨ Third person narration – An example of omniscient narration – when we see events from multiple viewpoints. This can add suspense as we are privy to information other characters are not, and we anticipate how different storylines will collide

Theories of Narrative 3