Barthe's media narrative codes

Having researched into narrative codes, Roland Barthe came up and his theory of narrative codes.
The codes are as follows:

The Hermeneutic Code

This code refers to plot elements of a story that are not explained. They exist as enigmas that the reader wishes to be resolved. For example; The Pigeon Detectives music video for the song 'Everybody Wants Me' shows two people in pictures at the beginning, who are they? what are they doing?



The Proairetic Code

The proairetic code refers to plot events that imply further narrative action. For example, a story character confronts an adversary and the reader wonders what the resolution of this action will be. Suspense is created by action rather than by a reader's wish to have mysteries explained. The final three codes are related to how the reader comprehends and interprets the narrative discourse.

The Semic Code

A seme is a unit of meaning or a sign that express cultural stereotypes. These signs allow the author to describe characters, settings and events. The semic code focuses upon information that the narration provides in order to suggest abstract concepts. Any element in a narrative can suggest a particular, often additional, meaning by way of connotation through a correlation found in the narrative. The semic code allows the text to 'show' instead of 'tell' by describing material things.

The Symbolic Code

The symbolic code refers to a structural structure that organizes meanings by way of antitheses, binary oppositions or sexual and psychological conflicts. These oppositions can be expressed through action, character and setting. An example of this would be the Killers music video to 'When You Were Young' - The two protagonists are at opposite ends - binary oppositions.



The Cultural Code

The cultural code designates any element in a narrative that refers to common bodies of knowledge such as historical, mythological or scientific. The cultural codes point to knowledge about the way the world works as shared by a community or culture. Including Bruce Willis, for instance, in the Gorillaz video to 'Stylo' refers to the audiences' common knowledge of action and adventure.



We can use these narrative codes with our music video, so that we create a greater sense of narrative following and engage the audience more effectively.