Texts: Narrative Construction - Levi Strauss 22.4

Narrative Conflict

As well as Aristotle deciding that 'all drama is conflict' in the 4th century BC, 20th century theorist Claude Levi-Strauss suggested that all narratives had to be driven forward by conflict that was cause by a series of opposing forces. He called this the theory of Binary Opposition, and it is used to describe how each main force in a narrative has its equal and opposite. Analysing a narrative means identifying these opposing forces.

It means understanding how the conflict between the opposing forces will drive the narrative on until, finally, some sort of balance or resolution is achieved.

Levi-Strauss used the ‘Western’ film genre to develop his theory of Binary Oppositions.

Homesteaders                                                                             Native Americans 

Christian                                                                                    Pagan

Domestic                                                                                   Savage

Weak                                                                                        Strong

Garden                                                                                      Wilderness

Inside society                                                                             Outside society

Task 1:

List binary oppositions that you can  think of from the crime then the horror genres?

Give specific examples from texts you know.

Post onto your own blog for feedback.