Barthes' Narrative Codes

Roland Barthes’ narrative code is basically untangling the media text ; it is like a tabled ball of threads that needs untangling so we can separate out the different colours that are tangled together. At the beginning we unravelling a potential meaning and look at the narrative in one way but once you start to unravel it more you may pull out a different meaning (thread) and continue to unravel the narrative from a different view point.

He has separated the codes into 5 sections, these are –

·         The Hermeneutic Code (HER) - This refers to any part of the story that isn’t fully explained and gives the audience clues / hints to what could happen. However this may frustrate the audience as they want to know exactly what this is meant to mean and they have unanswered enigmas

·         The Proairetic Code (ACT) - This refers to any other action or event that indicated something else is going to happen at some point in the media text. This builds tension for the audience as it makes then guesses what it could be leading to and they would tensely wait to see what it is to be revealed.

·         The semantic code (SEM) - This refers to the connotations and the ways props , characters and setting is used to create a meaning.

·         The symbolic code (SYM) - This is like semantic code but on a wider scale, for example it shows the development of a character throughout the media. And forces to inform detailed ideas to the audience.

·         The cultural code (REF) – This refers to anything found on some kind of canonical works that cannot be challenged and is assumed to be a foundation for truth. It also looks into the how much the audience knows about history and culture and also their beliefs linking to how they will interpret the text.