Literature Review 3

Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher and semiotician. All narratives share structural features that each narrative weaves together in different ways, said Roland Barthes. Barthes suggested to take the plurality of codes as an invitation to read a text so it can brings out multiple meanings and connotations. Rather than reading a text from a linear plot or even constrained by genre, Barthes argues for his terms of "writerly" rather than "readerly" approach to text.

A particular strength of Barthes' interpretation is that the text of the narrative bring multiple meaning to the audience. Every person has their own perception and interpretation. The same story could be interpreted differently by different people as their thoughts varies as the environment and culture differs. However, the essential properties will remain as how it was made initially while the stories are transported from one medium to another (Bremond, 1973).

According to Barthes, every narrative is interwoven with multiple codes. The Five Codes are as follows:

The hermeneutic code (HER). This refers to any element in the story that is not explained and therefore this raises questions that demands explication towards the reader. 

The proairetic code (ACT). This is about the other major structuring principle that builds interest or suspense on the part of a reader or viewer.

The semantic code (SEM). It points to any element in a text that suggests a particular, or additional meaning by the way of connotation.

The symbolic code (SYM). This is hard to differentiate from semantic code, it is a 'deep' structural principle that organizes semantic meaning.

The cultural code (REF). It is about the element in a narrative that refers "to a science or a body of knowledge".

As a whole, these codes are seen and works like a "weaving of voice". This is to allow user to read a work with a new perspective but not just a single line.

From my understanding, Barthes' is showing the complexity of the narrative structure and looking into different point of view of the narrative. This could be implemented in my studies of hypercomic as it will allow me to point out and look in deeper into the hypercomic for its purpose and value. I can also analyse how is the narrative structured affecting to the audience and how are the audience reacting to it.

References

Anon, (2014). [online] Available at: http://vogmae.net.au/intmedia/pubs/BarthesExtract.pdf [Accessed 21 Nov. 2014].

Ap.krakow.pl, (2014). Barthes and Narratology. [online] Available at: http://www.ap.krakow.pl/nkja/literature/theory/barthes_and_narratology.htm [Accessed 27 Nov. 2014].

Barthes, R., Lavers, A. and Smith, C. (1968). Elements of semiology. New York: Hill and Wang.

Bremond, C. (1973) Logique du récit, Paris: Seuil.

Courses.nus.edu.sg, (2014). Five Codes of Roland Barthes. [online] Available at: http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/elljwp/5codes.htm [Accessed 23 Nov. 2014].

Literature Review 2

In every narrative plot, there will be events happening to brings out the story and leaves a deep image to the audience.

Aristotle’s discuss some concepts about narrative:

• fixed sequence
• definite beginning and ending
• a story's "certain definite magnitude" and
• the conception of unity or wholeness

Aristotle says: “A well-constructed Plot, therefore, cannot either begin or end at any point one likes; beginning and end in it must be of the forms just described. Again: to be beautiful, a living creature, and every whole made up of parts, must not only present a certain order in its arrangement of parts, but also be of a certain definite magnitude" (Landow, 1997).

A particular strength of this argument of aristotle shows the common use of this narrative structure in various print media as narrative has always been the universal human appeal. However, in the digital age narrative there will be a contrasting idea compared to the oral and print age(Landow, 1997). In hypercomic, interaction has been added to the narrative structure as it generates communication of human and the story. It allows the audience to be more immersed to the story.

In Monika Fludernik’s  “An Introduction to Narratology” she has a section that discuss about story and contouring. Fludernik has a similar preference relating to Aristotle’s idea. In the journal, it says that in classical narratology, it stresses a lot on the sequencing of what happens next and the common trend of the plot(Fludernik, 2009). This will not be appropriate of it is applied to longer stretches of text.

Marie Laure Ryan concludes that “narrate development should not be entirely dependent on non-interactive cut scenes. The user’s activies should be part of the story, and move the plot forward, rather than being nothing more than means to get more of the story.”(Atkins and Krzywinska, 2007). Ryan’s idea has supported my discussion about narrative in the digital age.  Interactivity has been playing an important role that makes the story more appealing to the audience. For instance, narrative game which is event oriented allows the user to interact with objects in the scenes and get clues to allow the story to proceed to the next plot and learn what will happen next if a certain action is perform. This should sparks the audience curiosity to be eager to know what will be coming up next and the refore be immersed in the narrative. Ryan also wrote in "Embedded Narratives and Tellability" shows that the plot is not only character driven but also includes their plans, wishes and even a sub-plot.

My essay will discuss how is narrative structure applied in hypercomic and how is the plot created using different element to get the user's attentions.

References

Atkins, B. and Krzywinska, T. (2007). Videogame, player, text. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press.

Fludernik, m. (2014). [online] Available at: http://elsru.ir/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Monika-Fludernik-An-Introduction-to-Narratology-2009.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2014].

George P. Landow (1997). Hypertext 2.0: The Convergence of Contemporary Critical Theory and Technology (Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997), pp. 181-82 and 184-86.

Literature Review 1

Since personal computer in homes become common from the year 1980, digital narratives had a great evolved. From the online journal "Narrative and Digital Media" written by Scott Rettberg and Jill Walker Rettberg, it studies the origins and theories of digital narrative.

In the early 60's century, a command line interface is used in early computers and this is the beginning of digital narrative. It was initially started with text-based adventure games which contains the element of narrative and literary. Then, hypertext is introduced. Vannevar Bush had proposed the idea of "trails" connecting different types of knowledge in a "memex" in 1945 , but Ted Nelson is the one who invented the term hypertext.

Ted Nelson describe "Hypertext" as  it means forms of writing which branch or perform on request; they are best presented on computer screens (Nelson 19). 

In the 1990s, theorists include George Landow and Jay David Bolter wrote a book Writing Space about the transition from print to screen in various contexts which is the process of words to hypertext. In the online journal, it also stated that Landow writes about hypertext being writerly text in Barthes' sense. Writerly text means the reader is in a position of primary role to define the meaning. He argues that the reader participation makes it almost become the co-author.

Relating to these arguments, hypertext is the start of the interactivity in narrative. It introduce a story can be more immersive by adding in more element into it. Narrative in the oral and print age only have one-sided communication which is just the user reading the story. Narrative has already been a universal human appealing element throughout a whole variety of media such as drama, literature, magazine, etc etc. As the digital age emerge, narrative structure has been altered with more options and has become something that is entirely different from what it has been in the traditional narrative.

Digital narrative has taken many form as the technology has become so advance, one of it is hypercomic. It works like the hypertext which has visual graphical user interface and uses a mouse to click on links and to interact. I will study Landow's argument and theory that describes literature in metaphors which is applied in digital narratives.



References:

Archive.wired.com, (2014). Ted Nelson. [online] Available at: http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/people/ted_nelson/ [Accessed 11 Nov. 2014].

Arts.uwaterloo.ca, (2014). Barthes and Text :: Readerly and Writerly Texts. [online] Available at: http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/~raha/700_701_web/BarthesLO/readerly.html [Accessed 12 Nov. 2014].

Rettberg, S. and Rettberg, J. (2014). Narrative and Digital Media. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: http://www.academia.edu/2182804/Narrative_and_Digital_Media [Accessed 14 Nov. 2014].