Narrative Paradigm Theory

Natural paradigm concept gives the relative definition of humans as the beings whose storytelling competencies are top notch. A human can adequately bypass a message more diligently and effectively using communications theories. The narrative paradigm theory explains that the storytelling capabilities of human beings are, greater important when giving clarifications more than when supplying convincing ideas about a certain situation matter which has crucially been incorporated in human inventive and communication lifestyles (West 172). Use of communication theories is paramount and the theories have been applied in various components of day to day lives. More importantly, the communication theories have been applied in films to ensure that the target groups get the intended message in the least complicated but effective manner (Dainton 28). Walter Fisher asserts that from the fact that human beings are natural storytellers; their ways of life are easier studied form the manner in which they communicate with other beings. The narrative paradigm concept has been clearly shown in the movie Apocalypto.Before giving an analysis of the theory in the movies it is notable that Fisher annotated that, the narrative paradigm has two main parts the narrative coherence and the narrative fidelity. Narrative coherence shows that the audience expectations clearly merge up with the movie’s context and the experiences within the movie. The narrative fidelity shows that the movie has a bearing on normal happenings in human lives (West 172). The narrative paradigm should provide the reasons why things happen as they are I within the movie. Additionally, the people’s culture, beliefs, and other human values are well represented in the movie. When the story completely matches with human audience expectations in a realistic possible perspective, it shows that narrative paradigm theory has clearly been employed in the movie.Apocalypto is an epic that displays the adventures of the Jaguar Paw who is the protagonist of the film; He must escape and deliver his family from the oppression of their tormentors. The movie follows modern approximation only with most events and adventures showing the culture of the ancient Mesoamerican tribesmen. The movie is a good elaboration of the narrative paradigm theory because it satisfies all parameters of Fisher’s postulations. The movie begins while the Mesoamerican youths are hunting and they encounter a number of refugees who were hiding in the forest. The leader of the refugees explains their clean hiding intentions from their oppressors and forward their plea to be allowed to have a new beginning the forest. Jaguar Paw’s tribesmen agree not to be in contact with the intruders since they suspected that they might have an infection. At sunrise the following day, Jaguar Paw’s village is attacked by a group of Hostiles led by Zero Wolf (McGuire 37). Their homesteads are set on fire, the warriors of the community are killed during the heist. Women and children are also become victims. The strong members are captured and tied up to be enslaved in the community of the hostiles. Several events happen during the trek to the land of the Hostiles. On reaching the land of their oppressors, the women are sold as slaves while the strong men are taken up for human sacrifices. Several men are beheaded and their hearts offered burnt sacrifices to their traditional Mayan kings. When it was the turn for Jaguar Paw to be sacrificed, it happened that there was a solar eclipse which acted as the sign of satisfaction of the god’s expectations. The rest of the men who had not been sacrificed would be used as targets for archery activities in an open field. Jaguar Paw manages to evade the arrows thrown at him and he escapes back into the forest. Amid a number of different gory experiences including jumping into a waterfall, escaping the jaws of a jaguar and poisonous animals, he manages to be reunited with his wife who had hidden in a well.The movie has narrative fidelity since the experiences such as being sacrificed is real cultural practices of the Maya community (McGuire 37). Traditional aspects of this Mesoamerican community portrayed in the movie relatively realistic. They can happen in real life. Additionally, Jaguar Paw’s wife delivers in a well in a convincing scene which actually shows that the movie borrowed real-life situations. The beheading was done in an open field with spectators who would scramble for the heads of the victims. Additionally, the movie is persuasive in a manner that it depicts the use of narrative coherence (West 172). It is the audience’s expectations that from all the adventures experienced by the protagonist, he would be able to tame down and kill his entire oppressor. Jaguar Paw underwent a number of dangerous experiences while escaping from the hands of the hostiles. He escaped being devoured by a jaguar, being bitten by a snake, being killed by a number of traps set for hunting in the forest and also jumping off from the highest point if the waterfall (McGuire 37).From all these, the audience expects that he would be able to survive. The narrative coherence is showed from his survival of all the experiences and overpowering the rest of the surviving hostiles. The adventures shown in the film give a story perspective of the life of Jaguar Paw in a manner that appears real and probable. The movie is an elaboration of the whole idea of narrative paradigm theory; none of the adventures appears to be extraordinary.Therefore, it can be judged that Fishers’ assertions that human beings are good story are definite. Apocalyptic proves that communication theories are evidently practicable (Dainton 28). The realistic part of the narrative paradigm theory is what is best defined in daily experiences of a person.Works CitedDainton, Marianne. Applying Communication Theories for Professional Life. Sage, 2012.McGuire, Mark. “Apocalypto.” San Diego Tribune, 2006.West, Richard. “ The Narrative Paradigm Theory”, Introducing Communication Theory, analysis and Application. New York, 2014; pp172.