Roland Barthes came up with a theory that is woven into any narrative. This theory is the 'Enigma Code' and it is split into five parts.
Hermeneutic
The hermeneutic code is associated with enigmas of the text, puzzles and mysteries that the text may or may not eventually answer but will most likely defer and misdirect that answer, keeping the reader guessing.
Proairetic
The proairetic code encompasses the actions or small sequences of the narrative which creates narrative tension. By telling us that someone 'is going to the gym', we now expect them to lift weights, which creates tension through the anticipation.
Semantic
The semantic code concerns meaning but at the level of connotation, that is the meanings beyond the 'literal' denotation of the words: the resonances, additional linguistic associations, the connections between images.
Symbolic
The symbolic code produces a structure of symbolic meanings that accumulate throughout the text to establish a larger structure in which the meanings of the story unfold. These symbolic clusters of meanings might be around such oppositions as hot/cold, black/white, round/square.
Cultural
The cultural code is constituted by the points at which the text refers to common bodies of knowledge. These might be agreed, shared knowledge or an assertion of axiomatic truths.
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