Narrative and story research.

I began to research the basics and found out that a story is the actual sequence of events, it is the plot and that the plot is the events directly included in the action of the text, and the order in which they are presented. The narrative is the chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time.

I then researched further into the narrative structure: Linear  is the basic structure of a beginning (introduction to characters and story) → a middle (events happen- story builds) → and the end. An Open structure is when the audience is left to wonder what happen next- and this makes them use their own initiative.  A Closed structure on the other hand,  has a clear ending and conclusion- this kind of narrative is much more straightforward and would be interpreted in a limited number of ways. And finally, a Circular structure is a narrative which begins at the end events and takes the audience on a journey back through the narrative back to where they started again, at the end. For example:  pulp fiction.

My research continued when I found out about narrative range: The first type, Unrestricted narration, is a narrative which has no limits to the information that is presented, and the second type, Restricted narration, is a narrative which only offers minimal information regarding the narrative.

Additionally, I researched into narrative depth and found out that Subjective character identification is when the audience is given unique access to what a range of characters do and see. Objective character identification is when the audience is given unique access to a character's point of view such as seeing things from the character's mind eg- dreams, memories, visions.

I then researched deeper into the narrative theory and looked at Todorov and Strauss.Todorov suggested that most narratives start with a state of 'equilibrium' in which the protagonist is happy. This is then disrupted and then equilibrium is restored: equilibrium→ disequilibrium→ new equilibrium

·         Equilibrium sets the scene of everyday life

·         Disruption (complication) something happens to alter Equilibrium

·         Conflict: (climax) trying to solve the problem (seek resolution)

·         Resolution: problem is sorted

·         New equilibrium: (satisfactory end) back to normal (but never the same) a new normal.

Levi Strauss on the other hand, described narrative as created by a conflict of binary opposites

·         Love/hate

·         Peace/war

·         Rich/poverty

·         Man/alien

·         Strong/weak

·         Light/dark

·         Good/evil