Roland Barthes Narrative theory

Roland Barthes described texts as complex 'bundles' of meaning which can be unravlled to create a whole range of different meanings.

The texts can be:

• Open- with numerous 'threads to pull'
• Closed- with only one obvious thread to grasp
• Polysemic- can be read in a number of ways

These 'threads' are known as narrative codes. The most significant of these codes is the Enigma Code.

The Enigma code is constructed to attract and hold the attention of the audience normally by creating a mystery or puzzle that the audience want to see solved. These codes can often be seen in reality shows such as The X-Factor, where audiences are forced to wait for contestants to be kicked out or win by showing the results 'After the break'.