Narrative analysis of Katy Perry

Katy Perry - Part Of Me

Part of the process for my music video, I have analysed the narrative part of Katy Perry's music video in order to get a better understanding of the narrative side, so I can plan my video, and the story line correctly.

In Katy Perry’s ‘Part of me’ video, she is both the narrator and protagonist. The video portrays a subjective character, as it is shown only through her point of view, and what she is feeling. Todorov’s narrative model can be applied to Katy Perry’s video as it starts off with the disruption of the equilibrium would be that she caught her boyfriend kissing another girl, therefore ending her relationship. The recognition that there has been a disruption would be that she sees an advertisement in a shop about joining the army, which says ‘All women are created equal, then some become marines’- which reinforces the ideological values that some turn to strengthen themselves, in order to take control of their lives; and that women are normally mistreated in society. Which then leads to an attempt to repair the disruption as she trains in hard conditions in the army. The reinstatement of the equilibrium would be that she has done this for herself, creating a brand new life without her boyfriend. This then subverts the ideological values as she is seen at the end being a strong empowering woman, who doesn’t need a man by her side; as we see her evolve from being a feminine woman dressed with a pink dress and long hair, by the end she has taken control, taking a dominant role in the army. 

Propp’s characters in the video would be the boyfriend as the villain, as he is the one who broke up with her, therefore creating the narrative disruption, as that is what pushed her to go into the army. The hero would be herself as she is restoring the narrative equilibrium, as she is mending her feelings, by creating a new life without her boyfriend by going to the army. The princess would be herself also, as she is saving herself from the broken relationship.

The binary opposites would be tough women against soft women; the fact that she is seen as weak in the beginning of the video, then through the break-up of their relationship she has learned to become more tough, and to stand up for herself.

Other binary oppositions in the music video would be men vs women and how men are always seen as the manipulative one, therefore ideological values are reinforced, as in this society men are always seen to be thinking about themselves; and what could please them instead of others.

Referring to Barthe’s narrative codes, the video uses the action code in order for the audience to make sense of the narrative as Katy Perry has started off the video with them breaking up in order for the audience to understand the rest of the plot; and that is the primary reason for her to join the army.

Referring to Cameron’s modular narratives theory, the time in the video has been manipulated according to anachronic modular narratives where it involved flashbacks and flash-forwards; for example, we see Katy Perry cutting off her hair then looking in the mirror, now very manly, it then cuts to someone giving her the marine uniform- symbolising a new opportunity for her. It then shows a flashback of her and her boyfriend in an arcade, playing a gun shooting game, which then cuts back to her holding an actual gun in the army, mirroring her flashback; it also matches the lyrics when she sings ‘now look at me’- emphasising her change in character, and that she is now becoming strong. There is also a scene where she opens a letter which was from him, and then to a scene when she is in the water, training, it then cuts to a flashback showing her in a bathtub with her boyfriend, she falls back in the water, which cuts to her in the army, showing that she is washing away all of the memories, and that he cannot do anything to get her back, as she has now become a strong independent woman.