Narrative

Claude Levi-Strauss

Claude Levi-Strauss came up with the idea of binary opposition. A binary opposition is a set of related terms/concepts that are opposites. Eg...

• Good V Evil 
• Woman V Man 
• Rich V Poor

Enigma Codes

Wne of the most commonly used narrative structures in the thriller genre is an enigma code, it acts as a intriguing way of enticing the audience to follow the narrative. As they progress through the film they are left to feel as if they are discovering things the thriller goes on, as well as building a sense of suspence and drama. 

The theory of enigma codes was created by Roland Barthes. He suggests a text portrays a mystery to draw an audience in, pose questions and ,because of this, become intrigued. for example a murder mystery will not reveal the murders identity until the end of the film which poses the question of "who is the murderer?".  

Tzvetan Todorov 

In his work on narrative theories, Todorov suggested that stories begin with equilibrium (where opposing forces are balanced). This status is then disrupted and becomes unbalanced. then comes the recognition of the disruption. Next there is a attempt to solve the issue by the characters. Finally equilibrium is reinstated and all the problems are solved.