Research on narrative

Narrative:

Tzveten Todorov, a Franco-Bulgarian philosopher and theorist looked into the linear narrative of stories, in particular folk and fairy tales, and recognised that all the stories followed a particular chronological structure. Todorov noted that in most stories a classic narrative pattern would occur, this pattern followed:

1.     Equilibrium- all is in order, ‘normal’ and happy.

2.     Disruption- disruption to the equilibrium by the means of an event or action.

3.     Recognition- there is recognition of a disruption has taken place.

4.     Repair- an attempt to repair the damaged caused by disruption.

5.     New equilibrium- the problem is solved and we return to a new type of equilibrium.

Classic narrative pattern in ‘Cinderella’-

1.     Equilibrium- Cinderella lives happily with her parents.

2.     Disruption- Cinderella’s mother dies and her father remarries an evil women.

3.     Recognition- Cinderella is not longer happy and is made to work in the house and see no one.

4.     Repair- a fairy godmother allows her to go out to a ball were she meets a prince who could free her

5.     New equilibrium- the prince finds her and they get married and live happily ever after.

    Classic narrative pattern in 'The Hunger Games'-
    This film does not fit Todorov's classical narrative structure which highlights a weakness to his theory. The Hunger Games is an example of one or many films which do not fit this as it does not start with an equilibrium, instead it starts with disruption. It shows that not all films are based upon a set classical structure and not all films are aiming to solve a problem. For example in the Hunger Games, nothing is being solved and there is no repeated structure within it's narrative.  

Vladimir Propp, another theorist who studied folk and fairy tales identified that there were always distinctive character types, for example heroes and the vulnerable. Claude Levi-Strauss developed this theory and focused on the connections between characters and themes, he named these binary opposites. They are used to construct contrasts within the narrative within a text or film to establish stereotypes and different ideologies. For example, Cowboys and Indians, good and bad, hero and villain.  

Binary opposites in ‘Cinderella’-

-Good and bad: Cinderella is good and kind as she never defies her stepmother and does all she says. The stepmothers and stepdaughters are bad as they make Cinderella work all the time and never let her leave.

In my film I will aim to follow Todorov's classical narrative structure as I feel this will work well in most genres and will be simple yet very effective to follow. Following this, if I were to make a horror opening sequence then I would incorporate Propp's binary opposites as it works will in this genre, due to the conflicts of good and bad.