2. TZVETAN TODOROV
He said “All narratives follow the structure: Equilibrium,
Disequilibrium, Equilibrium.”
By this he means, characters, setting and story are
introduced, a dilemma is introduced, that dilemma is
resolved.
It is also said there are two other levels as well.
Equilibrium, Disequilibrium, Characters acknowledge
disequilibrium, Characters resolve disequilibrium,
Equilibrium.
This can be applied to almost any story.
An example of a film that supports this is I Am Legend.
An example of a film that doesn’t support this is Pulp
Fiction.
3. VLADIMIR PROPP
Propp said that almost any character in a story can fit to a certain
category and most narratives have most of these characters.
Hero – Protagonist
Villain – Antagonist
Donor – Gives Hero a device or power
Helper – Helps Hero on their journey
False Hero – Appears at first as a good character but turns out to
be evil
Dispatcher – Sends Hero on journey
Princess – Marries Hero
These characters are based on fairytales and don’t stick to other
kinds of narrative so well but are still applicable to modern
narratives.
An example of a film that supports this is Shrek.
An example of a film that doesn’t support this is LA Condifential.
4. CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS
He said that there are almost always binary opposites
motivating characters and plot, these are:
Good vs. Evil
Weak vs. Strong
Young vs. Old
Male vs. Female
These opposing forces are still very relevant to modern
narratives and usually at least one can be found in every
narrative.
An example of a film that supports this is Harry Potter.
An example of a film that doesn’t support this is Amelie.
