Claude Levi-Strauss' Theory on Narrative

    Lévi-Strauss argues that beneath the apparent diversity of myths and stories, there exist universal mental structures that shape human thought. He introduced the concept of binary oppositions, asserting that myths are composed of fundamental pairs of opposing elements (such as raw vs. cooked, nature vs. culture), which serve as building blocks for more complex narratives. These oppositions are not only linguistic but also reveal deep cultural and cognitive structures.

    Moreover, Lévi-Strauss proposed the idea of mythemes, which are the smallest units of mythological stories, comparable to phonemes in language. These mythemes can be rearranged and combined, much like linguistic elements, to create diverse narratives. Lévi-Strauss's approach challenges traditional interpretations of narratives as mere reflections of cultural content. Instead, he focuses on the formal structures and cognitive processes that underlie storytelling across cultures.

    By identifying commonalities in the organization of myths, Lévi-Strauss sought to uncover universal aspects of human cognition and shed light on the deep structures that shape the way societies construct meaning through narrative.