Roland Barthes’ 5 Narrative Codes

 Roland Barthes’ 5 Narrative Codes

Roland Barthes believes that all narratives share structural features that each narrative come together in different ways. Barthes identifies five different codes: Hermeneutic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic, and Cultural. Each codes are the signifiers to the various types of semiotics elements that are common to all texts.

The 5 different narrative codes:

Hermeneutic/Enigma Codes (HER): An element from the story that is unexplained, creating an unanswered question and a mystery for the audience to solve.

Proairetic Codes (ACT): An action or any element that builds suspense on the audience by leaving a clue that something is gonna happen next. This helps build interest on the audiences.

Semantic Codes (SEM): Any elements that suggests another additional meaning.

Symbolic Codes (SYM): Any visual elements, language or action that usually connotes a meaning. Usually used to show two different sides of the binary opposites

Cultural Codes (REF): A specific concept or idea that can be understood by a culture/religion/social group that creates meaning in the narrative.

Case Study - Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Episode 12 (Yangtze River Dolphin)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a Netflix series centered around Woo Young Woo, an extremely smart attorney who is suffering from autism spectrum disorder. Each episodes are about Attorney Woo solving different cases with her own unique way while facing prejudice and irrationality against her.

Hermeneutic/Enigma Codes (HER) - Like other episodes, episode 12 started with a case where Attorney Woo is in charge of it. This time Attorney Woo is supposed to defend a company from charges that are suggesting that the company is discriminating women workers by forcing them sign a voluntary leave paper. This creates questions in the audiences' head such as "Who will win the case?" "Who is at fault in this case?" "How will Attorney Woo solve this case?" This questions will drive the audiences to watch the full episode to find out the answers. 

Proairetic Codes (ACT) - A close up shot of the senior attorney pulling a taser is suggesting that he's ready to face and fight danger. It also builds suspense. 

Semantic Codes (SEM) - In this series, a close up of Attorney Woo's face followed by a short clip of whales/dolphins jumping out of the water connotes that Attorney Woo has found a creative way of solving the case. Clips of whales/dolphins always pops up in Attorney Woo's mind every time she finds an idea. The director has been using this technique constantly to tell audiences that an idea has popped up in her head since the first episode.

Symbolic Codes (SYM) - The last scene showing the senior attorney coughing blood in his office outside of work hours portrayed the harsh reality of being a lawyer. It is shown that he's constantly anxious of his enemy that he unintentionally gained as a result from defending someone.

Cultural Codes (REF) - During the trial the opposing lawyer emphasizes her tone when saying the name of the judge. Earlier on the episode it is explained that both the judge and lawyer has the same surname and are in the same family clan. The name 'Jae' in the lawyer's name denotes a higher rank generation name than the judge, 'Ha'. So in simple words, the lawyer is like the judge's aunt which means that the judge has to respect the lawyer (his elder). This can be an advantage to the lawyer during the trial (biasism). It is shown by the camera panning toward the lawyer's name tag followed by the Judge's awkward reaction. This is a cultural code because it can only be understood by people who are familiar to the Korean/East Asian culture.