The 5 narrative codes

Action Code
Applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example a gun slinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be.


Engima Code
Refers to an element in a story that is not explained, and therefore exists as an enigma for the audience, raising questions that demand an explanation.


Semantic Code
Any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation.


Cultural Code
Any element in a narrative that refers to "a science or a body of knowlegde". In other words the cultural codes tend to point to our shared knowledge about the way the world works.


Symbolic Code
This code is simple to understand when you know about Binary opposite. Levi Strauss believed that the world was split into a series of binary opposites. Essentially one thing can be defined in relation to something it isnt. For example, a hero is only a hero if there is a cowardly option.


I will now attempt to apply these 5 narrative codes to this Mac verses PC advert.






Action code
We first acknowledge the action as soon as Mac and PC meet because we can immediately tell that there will be a competition between them both, and that evidently Mac will win because of the other series of adverts shown on the television.

Enigma code
We are presented with an enigma code within the first 10 seconds of the advert, as soon as Mac and PC begin talking about their individual home movies and PC makes the comment of “I doubt it’s as excellent as mine”. This suddenly triggers the thought of, I wonder whose home movie is better and more importantly I wonder what there home movies look like and what there about.

Semantic code
We observe a semantic code from the very beginning as we can typecast both Mac and PC in that, Mac is a tall dark and handsome young man, who is friendly and outgoing; he is fairly fashionable wearing a blue untucked shirt and his hands are placed in his pockets this illustrates he is laid back. Whereas PC is an old overweight man, wearing a brown suit with his trousers pulled up high and his shirt tucked in, his hair is positioned in a slick side parting and he wears aged spectacles, this emphasises the fact that he is smart, sensible and old fashioned. All of these attributes add additional meaning to the characters we are already presented with.

Cultural code
We distinguish the cultural code in the language that is used throughout this advert, for example the words Mac and PC may not be recognized by the elderly generation and possibly people in other countries.

Symbolic code
We witness this when the two women appear representing the home movies and Macs women is a gorgeous, blonde and slender famous model and PCs women is a hairy fat man dressed up as a women. Their looks are symbolic of the quality of the home movies. Here we also notice a binary opposite in that one woman is beautiful making the other women ugly.