Research and Planning: Narrative Theory

Roland Barthes - Narrative Codes


Codes are combinations of technical features that have a specific meaning, Roland Barthes suggests that there are 3 different theories of codes.


 The first being Hermeneutic Code, sometimes called the Enigma Code, this refers to part of the story that is not fully explained, leaving the audience with unanswered questions or 'enigmas', hence the story becomes a mystery to the reader. The purpose of this is typically to keep the audience intrigued and guessing until the final scenes when all is revealed and closure is achieved. For example, in the opening scene of Dexter shown above, we see Dexter doing normal day to day things but in a very sinister and slow way, this provides the audience with enigmas and questions about him and what he does, why is he so sinister?, and makes the audience to want to carry on watching.


The second is the Proairetic Code, this is used to build tension and suspense and refers to any other action that indicates to the audience that something else is going to happen, allowing the reader to make guesses on what will happen next in the narrative. For example,  as shown in the opening scenes for Dexter, the blood drips in a sinister way, which suggests that something unpleasant will happen at some point and adds tension.


The third is Semantic Code, this is the way images or music might be used to mean something in addition to what it already shows. For example,  as shown in the opening scenes for Dexter, we see him doing things such as tightening his shoe laces, although to the audience it appears as if he is strangling someone, however, this is filmed in a 'macro' style, and accompanied by the strange angles, this depicts a world within a world. The images do not mean what they might mean if filmed differently.




Levi Strauss suggests that in all narratives there are binary oppositions, for example, villian vs hero. In Dexter this is Dexter vs everyday life or Dexter vs his psycho serial killer side.