Discours refers to the form of a narrative, that is the way in which the events of the Histoire level are woven together. This requires an axiological = moral evaluation, which is expressed through form, creates suspense, etc. The Discours level of a story comprises: time, voice, and mode.

Histoire largely refers to the content of a narrative, i.e. all the events that occur in chronological order. The Histoire level of a story comprises: space, plot schema, and motivation.

Histoire and Discours form the basis of most narratological models. Their distinction dates back to Aristotle; in 1925, Boris Tomashevsky defined sujet and fabula, and Tzvetan Todorov ultimately established the terminology of Histoire and Discours.