Application of Narrative Theory

Todorov

Todorov was a Bulgarian structural linguist, his worl was focused and interested in the way language is ordered to infer particular definitions and has greatly influenced the field of narrative theory. Todorov's narrative structure consisted of five stages.

Equilibrium

A point at which everything is satisfied calm and normal

Significant Event

The stable environment is disrupted by some kind of force which creates a state of disequilibrium

Disequilibrium

This is where there is recognition that a disruption has taken place

Climax

It is seen that the only possible way to re-create equilibrium is through action directed against the disruption

New Equilibrium

There is restoration and a new state of equilibrium is introduced to the world of the narrative. This new state of equilibrium can sometimes differ but be an improvement of the initial state of equilibrium.

Todorov's theory links to our story because we have applied his theory to the structure of our story and plots.

Propp

Propp was a Russian theorist who studied the narrative structure of Russian folk tales. Propp concluded that regardless of the individual differesnces in terms of plot, characters, and settings such narratives will share common structural features.

He also concluded that all the characters could be resolved into only seven character types.

The Hero

The hero weds the princess

The Princess

The princess gives the task to the hero and marries him.

The Villian

The Villian struggles against the hero.

The Helper

Helps the hero in the quest.

We can apply Propps theories to our story by assigning the character titles to the characters in our film.

Levi Strauss

Levi Strausses ideas about narrative amount to the fact that he believed all stories operated to certain clear binary opposites.

The importance of these ideas is the eessentially a complicated world is reduced to a simple either/or structure where things are either right or wrong, good or bad, there is no in between.

This structure has ideological implications if for example you want to show that the hero was not wholly correst in what they did and the villains were not bad.

We can apply Strausses theory to our story because the villain in our film assists the hero to get back on his feet.