Claude Levi-Strauss

In the 20th century Claude Levi-Strauss and Roland Barthes came together to discuss the way in which we, as the consumer, understand certain words, and how this relates to how we perceive their true meaning as opposed to the meaning intended, rather more that we understand the difference between the work and its 'Binary Opposite', almost like Yin and Yang.

What this meant was simple. Words can be used as a form of symbolism, which represents societies ideas and that the meaning of words was a relationship rather than a fixed thing just a relationship between opposing ideas.

Some binary opposites are listed below;

Good vs Evil
Black vs White
Boy vs Girl
Young vs Old
Protagonist vs Antagonist
Strong vs Weak
East vs West
etc.

In summary the Levi-Strauss Narrative Theory is that conflict is based around these binary opposites, and that these re the central climax of a narrative structure.