Narrative

TZTEVAN TODOROV

Tzvetan Todorov | CCCB
Tztevan Todorov

Most stories are linear and are broken down into a beginning, middle, and end. The Bulgarian structuralist theorist, Tztevan Todorov, presents this idea as:

– Equilibrium (the story constructs a stable world at the outset of the narrative. Key characters are presented as part of that stability.)
– Disruption (oppositional forces – the actions of a villain, perhaps, or some kind of calamity – destabilise the story’s equilibrium. Lead protagonists attempt to repair the disruption caused.)
– New Equilibrium (disruption is repaired and stability restored. Importantly, the equilibrium achieved at the end of the story is different to that outlined at the start. The world is transformed.)

VLADIMIR PROPP

Vladimir Propp (Author of Morphology of the Folktale)
Vladimir Propp

Todorov was hugely influenced by the Russian literary theorist, Vladimir Propp, and his highly influential 1929 book, Morphology Of The Folktale, in which Propp arrived at the conclusion that folk tales drew from a highly stable list of characters whose roles and narrative functions he defined:

– The Hero (Propp identifies two significant types of hero – the seeker hero, who relies more heavily on the donor to perform their quest, and the victim hero, who needs to overcome a weakness to complete their quest.)
– The Villain (fights or pursues the hero and must be defeated if the hero is to accomplish their quest.)
– The Princess and the Princess’s Father (the princess usually represents the reward of the hero’s quest, while the princess’s father often sets the hero difficult tasks to prevent them from marrying the princess.)
– The Donor (provides the hero with a magical agent that allows the hero to defeat the villain.)
– The Helper (usually accompanies the hero on their quest, saving them from the struggles encountered on their journey, helping them to overcome the difficult tasks encountered on their quest.)
– The Dispatcher (sends the hero on his or her quest, usually at the start of the story.)
– The False Hero (performs a largely villainous role, usurping the true hero’s position in the course of the story. The false hero is usually unmasked in the last act of a narrative.)

CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS

Claude Lévi-Strauss: Remembering the French anthropologist on his 110th  birth anniversary-World News , Firstpost
Claude Levi-Strauss

Claude Levi-Strauss, a French anthropologist and ethnologist, examined the structure and narratives of myths and legends from around the world, such as the tribal stories of the Amazonian rainforest or the ancient myths of Greece). He ventured out to uncover the hidden rules of storytelling, in order to diagnose the essential nature of human experience, and believed that common themes and tropes found in these stories would reveal essential truths about the way the human mind structures the world. He suggested that myths were used to deal with the contradictions in experience, to explain the apparently inexplicable, and to justify the inevitable.

SEYMOUR CHATMAN

Seymour Chatman

The American film and literary critic, Seymour Chatman,

Kernels
Satellites

ROLAND BARTHES

Roland Barthes | Footnotes to Plato | Barthes: A double grasp on reality
Roland Barthes

Proairetic Code
Hermenuetic Code
Enigma Code

narrative

1- Todorov

Todorov- the stage of equilibrium

the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium

the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium

the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

 This stage is found at the beginning of the film, where everything is as it should be and the characters lives are normal.

. The second stage is the disruption stage. This is when the state of equilibrium is disturbed by an event occurring.

flexi-narratives – three act structures in a similar pattern to that used by master plot/ sub plot sequences.

metanarratives- provide the audience with moments that draw attention to the idea that they are watching a story.

disequilibrium and transgression – Todorov identifies the use of transgressive action as a mechanism that also enables ideological meaning to form. characters break rules or violate social norms and to repair those transgressions they must be punished or effect a transformation.

Transgression is an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offence

2- Vladimir Propp

Propp suggested that stories do not necessarily have to use all stock characters.

there is a

  • hero
  • villain
  • princess and the princess’ father
  • donor
  • helper
  • dispatcher
  • false hero

todorov

A really good way to think about NARRATIVE STRUCTURE is to recognise that most stories can be easily broken down into a BEGINNING / MIDDLE / END. The Bulgarian structuralist theorist Tztevan Todorov presents this idea as:

  • Equilibrium
  • Disruption
  • New equilibrium

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

Vladimir Propp

You do not need to recognise all of these characters, but it is a good way to understand the way in which CHARACTERS FUNCTION TO PROVIDE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

Todorov

A really good way to think about NARRATIVE STRUCTURE is to recognise that most stories can be easily broken down into a BEGINNING / MIDDLE / END. The Bulgarian structuralist theorist Tztevan Todorov presents this idea as:

Equilibrium
Disruption
New equilibrium

Multiple equilibrium sequences- contemporary media products often try to produce a roller-coaster effect for their audiences by deploying multiple disruptions before resolving them in a final transformation. This offers audiences multiple moments of narrative calm and excitement.

TODOROV & FREYTAG & PROPP

Todorov


Todorov states that media has a beginning, middle and end. He calls these the “equilibrium”, “disruption”, and “new equilibrium”

Freytag

Freytag’s pyramid is similar in that he has a exposition and climax and denouement.

Multi-perspective narratives: contemporary stories are often told from different character perspectives, repurposing equilibriums as disequilibrium when the story shifts from one character viewpoint to another
Metanarratives: provide audiences with moments that draw attention to the idea that they are watching a story. Metanarration might knowingly refer to the product as a media construct or speak directly to audiences through fourth wall breaks.

Vladimir Propp

Vladimir propp suggests that stories have stock characters to structure a stories. You do not need to recognise all of these characters, but it is a good way to understand the way in which CHARACTERS FUNCTION TO PROVIDE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:

Hero
Helper – usually accompanies the hero on their quest, saving them from the struggles encountered on their journey, helping them to overcome the difficult tasks encountered on their quest. The dispatcher: sends the hero on his or her quest, usually at the start of the story.
Princess – the princess usually represents the reward of the hero’s quest, while the princess’s father often sets the hero difficult tasks to prevent them from mar rying the princess. The donor: provides the hero with a magical agent that allows
Villain – fights or pursues the hero and must be defeated if the hero is to accomplish their quest.
Victim
Dispatcher
Father
False Hero – performs a largely villainous role, usurping the true hero’s position in the course of the story. The false hero is usually unmasked in the last act of a narrative

todorov

Multiple equilibrium sequences- contemporary media products often try to produce a roller-coaster effect for their audiences by deploying multiple disruptions before resolving them in a final transformation. This offers audiences multiple moments of narrative calm and excitement.

Equilibrium – One of the stages in the theory of narrative structure of Todorov’s theory. It is explained about the condition that happens with a character. Is the beginning of the film, and the characters life is normal.

Disruption – This is the second stage of Todorov’s theory, where a characters life is about to change / have interference

VALDIMIR PROPP

STOCK CHARACTERS

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

Often there is a villain who has done something to a victimThis means that we need a hero, who (often) accompanied by a helper is sent out (by a dispatcher) to fight the villain. The dispatcher or similar donor (such as a father figure) prepares the hero in his ‘quest‘ and gives the herosome magical object.

Isabella is the victim and Jake will be the dispatcher and he tells daisy, then they both become the hero’s.

todorov

A really good way to think about NARRATIVE STRUCTURE is to recognise that most stories can be easily broken down into a BEGINNING / MIDDLE / END. The Bulgarian structuralist theorist Tztevan Todorov presents this idea as:

Equilibrium
Disruption
New equilibrium

the stage of equilibrium
the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

Most narratives can be broken down into beginning/middle/end. Todorov’s theory states that the beginning is the equilibrium where everything is ‘normal’ and balanced and around the middle there’s a disruption where things become unbalanced and by the end of the film there becomes a new equilibrium and everything becomes balanced or ‘normal’

condensed equilibriums – action and immediate disruption is delivered to hook the audience

Multiple equilibrium sequences- a roller-coaster effect for their audiences created by deploying multiple disruptions before resolving them in a final transformation. This offers audiences multiple moments of narrative calm and excitement.

2. Vladimir Propp

Suggests that stories use STOCK CHARACTERS to structure stories

Often there is a villain who has done something to a victim. This means that we need a hero, who (often) accompanied by a helper is sent out (by a dispatcher) to fight the villain.

Hero
Helper
Princess
Villain
Victim
Dispatcher
Father
False Hero

The hero generally meets the princess as part of his quest / journey which usually provides a happy ending. During the narrative we (and the princess) may be presented by a false hero.

Synopsis

My film will be about a boy who to disobey his parents and do whatever he wants to. He has a argument with his parents over wanting to have a mullet and runs away, he then finds a gun on the floor and roams around in confusion until he sees a body on the floor.

Internal Structural Analysis

What is needed to create a film? (Physical elements)

  • Director
  • Actors
  • Camera and Microphones
  • Set/Scene/Location
  • Producer
  • Money
  • Editing software
  • Screenwriter/ Script
  • Cameraman
  • Script

Narrative structures and internal elements :

  • Chronological – Generally, films are structured in a straight line, linear narrative in which the events are sequenced in order of time.
  • Flashbacks/ Foreshadowing
  • Ellipsis
  • Parallel Narrative
  • EXPOSITION —> CLIMAX —> DENOUEMENT
  • Protagonist and Antagonist

Freytag :

Exposition —> The background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story. Earlier events are alluded to.

Climax —> The point of highest intensity in a narrative. A story changing event takes place.

Denouement —> The final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

Aristotle :

  • Catharsis = Idea that we are freed by consuming something.
  • Peripetia = A change in fortune
  • Anagnorisis = A moment of dramatic revelation

Todrov:

Often, most stories can be easily broken down into a BEGINNING / MIDDLE / END.

Todrov breaks this into a 3-part structure:

  • Equilibrium
  • Disruption
  • New equilibrium

Single character transformations are pursued: Traditional Todorovian stories place one lead hero at the centre of the narrative and secondary characters help them on their quest to the new equilibrium.

Frame stories: Stories told inside of stories, testing Todorov’s ideal structure.

  • Developed therories on character when analyising Russian folk tales in his 1929 book ‘Morphology of the Folktale’
  • Stock characters are used to structure stories, suggesting that the majority of stories use familiar character types to provide familiar narrative structures
  • These stock characters are :
  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

(not my work)

Claude Levi Strauss (binary oppositions)

  • This theory suggests that NARRATIVES (=myths) are STRUCTURED around BINARY OPPOSITIONS eg: good v evil; human v alien; young v old etc.
  • narrative as a structure of key (oppositional) themes that underpin action and dialogue to develop a set of messages that the audience are able to decode and understand.
  • This creates a dominant message (ideology) of a film/TV programme/advert/music video
  • this way audiences are encouraged to make a judgements about characters, groups, places, history, society.

Levi-Strauss examined the nature of myths and legends in ancient and primitive cultures, from this analysis he suggested that myths were used to deal with the contradictions in experience, to explain the apparently inexplicable, and to justify the inevitable’ (Turner 2000:83)

  • the way in which individual students / audience members decode specific texts, is also contingent on their own individual ideas, attitudes and beliefs
  • texts can be seen to either support the dominant ideologies of a society, which would make it a reactionary text ,or to challenge, question or undermines the dominant ideologies of society, in which case it could be seen as a radical text.

Seymour Chatman –

there are 2 parts to a story, the important things and the embellishment, the important things are called kernels, these are the key moments in the plot.

Roland Barthes:

proairetic code- actions, movement, causation.

Hermenuetic code- dialogue,

Todorov

Most narratives can be broken down into beginning/middle/end. Todorov’s theory states that the beginning is the equilibrium where everything is ‘normal’ and balanced and around the middle there’s a disruption where things become unbalanced and by the end of the film there becomes a new equilibrium and everything becomes balanced or ‘normal’

condensed equilibriums- contemporary audiences have a much lower boredom threshold so to engage these viewers films must not focus on the initial equilibrium too much at the start and instead deliver action and immediate disruption to hook the audience

Multiple equilibrium sequences- contemporary media products often try to produce a roller-coaster effect for their audiences by deploying multiple disruptions before resolving them in a final transformation. This offers audiences multiple moments of narrative calm and excitement.

Metanarratives- audience are drawn attention to the fact that they’re watching a story (4th Wall Breaks)

Vladimir Propp

Todorov was hugely influenced by the Russian literary theorist Vladimir Propp and his highly influential 1929 book, Morphology Of The Folktale, in which Propp arrived at the conclusion that folk tales drew from a highly stable list of characters whose roles and narrative functions he defined:

These characters are known as Stock Characters and structure the story/narrative. These stock characters are as followed:

  1. The villain — an evil character that creates struggles for the hero.
  2. The dispatcher — any character who illustrates the need for the hero’s quest and sends the hero off. This often overlaps with the princess’s father.
  3. The helper — a typically magical entity that comes to help the hero in their quest.
  4. The princess or prize, and often her father — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her as a consequence of some evil or injustice, perhaps the work of the villain. The hero’s journey is often ended when he marries the princess, which constitutes the villain’s defeat.
  5. The donor — a character that prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object, sometimes after testing them.
  6. The hero — the character who reacts to the dispatcher and donor characters, thwarts the villain, resolves any lacking or wronghoods and weds the princess.
  7. The false hero — a Miles Gloriosus figure who takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.

‘these are not separate characters, since one character can occupy a number of roles or ‘spheres of action’ as Propp calls them and one role may be played by a number of different characters’

Stock character’s roles can be organised into

  1. PREPARATION
  2. COMPLICATION
  3. TRANSFERENCE
  4. STRUGGLE
  5. RETURN
  6. RECOGNITION