The Narrative

What is Narrative?

- The Structure or chain of events in which a story is told.

- Narrative structure is carefully considered when writing the screenplay for a drama. 

- It is usually achieved through the editing of different shots together

Why is Narrative important?

- The narrative structure chosen directly affects how the audience experiences the story. 

- The way a 'story' is told can provide certain messages and values about who we see and what is being said about the character, groups of people or events represented in the drama.

- The narrative structure can affect the audience's involvement with and enjoyment of a drama. 

- The narrative structure used in LFTVD is considered to be complex, often multiple narrative strands and story lines being told at the same time. 

Narrative structure:

- Linear Narrative 

• Clear beginning, middle and end. 
• Follows a chronological time frame 
• Action A leads to Action B which leads to Action C etc. 

- Fragmented Narrative

• Also called Non-linear, disrupted or disjointed narrative. 
• No clear beginning, middle and end. 
• Out of chronological order
• helps show parallel stories, a story within a story, dreams etc. 
• Closely replicates the way human minds work
• Makes audience participate by piecing the story together. 

- Stranger Things is a fragmented narrative because right from the start, we witness multiple parallel plot lines such as the laboratory, Eleven and the boys. We also see a non-chronological narrative strand in the flashback to Joyce and Will's conversation at castle Byers. The fragmented narrative creates enigmas or questions for the audience, who have to work to figure out the connections, therefore ensuring greater audience engagement. 

Narrative types:

- Restricted Narrative 

• We experience the story through the senses and thoughts of just one character.
• Almost always the main character (The protagonist).
• The narrative cannot tell the audience things that the main character does not know, we find things out in the story at the same time as the character. 

- Omnipresent Narrative

• A panoramic, all seeing, view of the world of the story.
• Many Points of view, experiences and feelings. 
• This makes the audience see a broader background of the story. 

- Stranger Things has an omnipresent narrative which provides multiple gratifications for the audience - we can empathize and identify with the same characters, while gaining escapism and mystery from others. 

Narrative Endings:

- Closed endings

• TV dramas traditionally feature one character's story or point of view in an episode, which comes to a resolution at the end of the episode.
• The story can exist as one unique story in one episode.
• A story is unraveled before an audience and then ultimately is brought to a conclusion. 
• The following episode will feature a different story.

 - Open endings

• When an episode, or season, ends on a cliff-hanger. 
• A story-telling technique
• Open endings can be unsatisfying for audiences
• In LFTVD, open endings indicate there will be a continuation. 
• This encourages the viewer to continue watching the series. 

Theory:

- Todorov: The Equilibrium theory

• The idea that every story has the same pattern; (Narrative usually chronological & linear)

1. Equilibrium - Everything is good and happy
2. Disruption - A problem occurs
3. Recognition - The main character realizes the problem
4. Repair - The character begins to fix the situation 
5. New Equilibrium - The character has a new, better life. 

- Strauss: Binary Oppositions

• A narrative is told through showing the relationship that two opposites have together. 
• The narrative is about the conflict between the two (E.g. good VS bad)