Narrative Theories

 Narrative refers to the story within a piece of fictional media, there are numerous theories regarding what goes into creating a 'correct' or 'good' narrative. 

Some of the key theorists and their theories are:

Tvzetan Todorov's Theory

Todorov's theory states that the fictional events within a narrative begin in a state of equilibrium, the environment and it's version of normality is established early on within the story (everything is as it should be). At some point an event occurs which will disrupt and throw this equilibrium off-balance; this event is known as an inciting incident. The remaining narrative should then focus on restoring the equilibrium and the state of normality or a new equilibrium will have to be established and accepted. The theory states that there are 5 stages in which a narrative will go through:

  1.  A state of equilibrium
  2.  A disruption of that order by an event/inciting incident.
  3.  Recognition from characters that a disruption has occurred. 
  4.  An attempt to repair the damage to the equilibrium by the disruption.
  5.  Restoration to or a new equilibrium. 
Vladimir Propp's Theory

Propp's Theory, based on ancient folk tales, states that all narrative will consist of a set of 'stock characters'. These characters are:
  • The hero- a person who will 'save the day', the protagonist.
  • The villain- the enemy who will cause disaster, the antagonist.
  • A donor- someone who will make a sacrifice, usually to aid the hero.
  • A helper- a person who helps the hero on their 'quest'.
  • A princess- a person who needs to be saved, the goal for the hero.
  • A father/father figure- someone who provides love and wisdom to the hero.
  • A dispatcher- a person who sends things or people out (for hero or villain).
  • A victim- a person who suffers from the disasters usually caused by the villain.
  • A false hero- a person who is established as a hero but later revealed to be a villain, sometimes referred to as a 'twist villain' in modern culture. 
  • There can also be false villain on some occasions- a character who is originally thought of and portrayed as being evil, later revealed to be on the side of good. 
Claude Levi-Strauss's Theory

Levi-Strauss's theory refers to the idea of binary opposites within narratives, and it is the conflict between these opposites that propel a story. A narrative can only be concluded with a resolution of this conflict that has been created.
Some examples of binary opposites can include- light vs dark, love vs hate, good vs evil or earth vs aliens. 


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