Roland Barthes

Barthes was a French literary theorist who believed that all narratives share structural features that are brought together in various ways. He believed that texts could be unravelled in different ways. Barthes suggested that there are 5 codes which help to unravel meaning in a narrative. They are the following:

• ACTION CODE- This code applies to any action that implies a further narrative action and resolution is produced through action
• ENIGMA CODE- Narrative device which teases the audience by presenting a riddle or puzzle to be solved
• SEMIC- the denotations of the image/imagery
• SYMBOLIC-connotations of the image/imagery presented
  
• CULTURE-device which the audience recognise and associate with a particular culture.