A Small Slice of Marvel Narrative - CIU110 #3

Narrative

Narrative is, to me, the plot, storyline, or string of events that are usually found within films, games or TV shows. Narrative could also be found within music and art. Another definition of narrative is "Narrative is continuous story. It has two facets. The first is the chain or plot. Plot tends to move between an opening equilibrium that is disrupted, precipitating the action that goes through the usual tribulations, towards a new or restored equilibrium... The second facet of narrative involves choice or presentation – the way the story is realised or told. It is this facet, and the devices and surprises chosen in it, that are often the focus of textual analysis." (Hartley, J. (2002). Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, The Key Concepts. 3rd ed. USA: Routledge, p.154.)

In this blog post I will be discussing the narrative of the Netflix TV series,  Luke Cage.

Luke Cage

When a sabotaged experiment gives him super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage becomes a fugitive attempting to rebuild his life in Harlem  and must soon confront his past and fight a battle for the heart of his city. After clearing his name, Cage becomes a hero and a celebrity in Harlem, only to encounter a new threat that makes him confront the line between hero and villain.

Narrative Within Luke Cage

Narrative within the TV series Luke Cage is intertwined throughout the Marvel Universe. The show takes place in Harlem, which is close enough to the Avengers tower to have the city talking about their antics. The first season of Luke Cage slots in to the Marvel Universe timeline right between Marvel's Daredevil season 2 and Iron Fist season 1.

Luke Cage does use narrative structure and follows a linear timeline. This is seen through the way the seasons plot unfolds, and how it picks up at the end of another show within the same 'Universe' (Daredevil) to continue story onto the next season or show, again within the same 'Universe'.

There are a few stereotypes within Luke Cage, such as Luke himself. He is portrayed as a large, muscled, dark-skinned and often wearing a hoodie. Without knowing him or the story he might come across as someone who is very intimidating with a poor background and poor behaviour.  Although he may use his intimidating looks to his advantage, Luke couldn’t be more different in the show. He works two jobs in season one, and uses his body and powers to protect and help people in his neighbourhood, stopping robberies and saving people from shootings (which is a stereotype of a being superhero in itself).

Luke fits the stereotype of being a superhero through his behaviour in the show. He works at a barbershop, stopping a robbery and saving (some) people from a shootout that occurs there. He then goes on to hunt down the people who ordered the shooting in order to avenge someone he was close to who was harmed in the crossfire. He is also often shown beating up bad guys and fighting corruption through both seasons. 

The creator of Luke Cage does have a specific narrative that they follow throughout the show, which is to ensure the show fits within the Marvel Universe and links up/references other shows, movies or characters within that universe. 

What I Have Learnt About Narrative

I have learnt that narrative is much more than 'the story' of a piece of media. It can be defined as the way a story is written, the characters, order in which events take place, the stereotypes and whatever else helps shape the story into the final product that we see. 

References

Hartley, J. (2002). Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, The Key Concepts. 3rd ed. USA: Routledge, p.154.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Cage_(TV_series)