Narrative Structuralism
Narrative Structuralism
Narrative structuralism applies the principles of structuralism to storytelling, focusing on universal patterns and systems that underlie all narratives. It shifts attention away from the unique particulars of a story—such as its individual characters, settings, or events—and instead seeks to uncover the universal frameworks that give stories their shape.
As a structuralist, your goal is not to ask, "What does this specific story mean?" but rather, "What broader narrative patterns and structures does this story reflect?" In this sense, structuralism is a quest for the universal rules that govern storytelling across cultures and time.
Stop thinking small here. Structuralism cares not for particulars, but for universals. If you give a structuralist a sentence, they are looking at the universal structures of language that dominate it—such as grammar and syntax. Similarly, if you give a structuralist a story, they are looking at the patterns of narratives, characters, or symbols that dominate it. Structuralism analyzes the shared DNA of storytelling, the repeated systems that organize narratives into recognizable and resonant forms.
Developed by Gustav Freytag in the 19th century, this model dissects the narrative arc into five stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. It reflects the inherent shape of many Western narratives, emphasizing the progression of conflict and resolution.
Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces presents the "monomyth," a universal narrative structure where the hero embarks on an adventure, faces trials, achieves transformation, and returns home. This model dominates popular culture, from Star Wars to The Lion King.
Even satirical works like Rick and Morty play with this structure, often adhering to it while mocking its predictability.
Vladimir Propp identified recurring character types (e.g., hero, villain, helper) and narrative functions in Russian folktales. His model emphasizes the predictable "building blocks" of stories, revealing the shared structures of traditional storytelling.
Claude Lévi-Strauss analyzed myths, highlighting how stories are structured around oppositional pairs (e.g., life/death, civilization/savagery). These oppositions create tension and meaning within narratives.
Tzvetan Todorov outlined a simple structure where narratives begin in equilibrium, experience disruption, and conclude with a new equilibrium. This cycle reflects the universal rhythm of balance and change in stories.
What Structuralists Look For:
Patterns of Conflict and Resolution: Are there clear stages of rising action and resolution, as in Freytag’s Pyramid?
Archetypal Characters and Roles: Does the story feature recurring roles like the hero, the mentor, or the trickster?
Binary Oppositions: What tensions (e.g., freedom vs. control) drive the narrative forward?
Cycles of Transformation: How does the narrative align with the Hero’s Journey or other universal cycles?
What Structuralists Ignore:
Specific details about character motivation, setting, or authorial intent. These are seen as variations on universal patterns, rather than critical elements.
Overgeneralization: Critics argue that structuralism’s focus on universals can oversimplify complex, culturally specific narratives.
Cultural Bias: Models like Freytag’s Pyramid reflect Western storytelling conventions and may not apply to non-Western narrative traditions.
Resistance to Change: Poststructuralist thinkers like Jacques Derrida highlight the instability of meaning, challenging structuralism’s emphasis on fixed systems.
Structuralist Fit: Archetypal hero (Odysseus), mentor (Athena), and cyclical journey home align perfectly with the Hero’s Journey.
Challenge: The episodic structure and cultural specificity of Greek myth complicate strict adherence to Western narrative models.
Structuralist Fit: Clear stages of conflict and resolution follow Freytag’s Pyramid, while the Hero’s Journey shapes Harry’s development.
Challenge: The depth of secondary characters and world-building may resist reduction to universal patterns.
Structuralist Fit: Binary oppositions like ambition/restraint and order/chaos drive the narrative.
Challenge: The psychological depth of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s motives challenges structuralist detachment from individual characters.
Structuralist Fit: A textbook Hero’s Journey, with Luke Skywalker as the hero, Obi-Wan as the mentor, and Darth Vader as the shadow.
Challenge: The influence of Campbell’s Monomyth is so deliberate that it blurs the line between genuine universality and intentional imitation.
Structuralist Fit: Cyclical structures, archetypes, and binary oppositions (e.g., life/death, isolation/connection) dominate the narrative.
Challenge: The magical realism and nonlinear timeline challenge the fixed structures typical of Western narratives.