Roland Barthes' Theory

Roland Bathes is famous in media studies for suggesting that narratives work with the codes.

• The Action or Proairectic
• The Enigma or Hermeneutic
• The Semic
• The Symbolic
• The Culturalor Referential

The Enigma Code is the most famous as we use this to make guesses to how the narrative will finish, therefore providing pleasure for the audience.

The Hermeneutic Code is the part of the story which is not fully explained. They exist as enigmas and questions that the audiences wishes to be resolved. A detective story for example, is a narrative that operates mainly by the hermeneutic code. A criminal act is shown and the remainder of the narrative is devoted to answering questions raised by the initial event.

In order to maintain interest, the final truth is not revealed until the end of the story and some devices are used to conceal it;

1. The Share - the deliberate avoidance of the truth - a tease or an implication which sends the audience down the wrong path
2. Partial Questions - revealing some of the final truth(s) that is used to increase suspense
3. Equivocation - a mixture of truth and snare, usually further muddying the water! 
4. Jamming - suggesting that the problem may be unsolvable

The Proairectic Code are actions that imply further action/ reaction. For example, a character has an argument and the reader wonders what the resolution or outcome of this argument will be. This creates suspense/ tension as the audience wonder what the outcome will be and begin to guess.