Narrative

Narrative

Narrative is consisting of or characterized by the telling of a story.
One of the narrative theories is Tzvetan Todorov. He discovered that folk tales and fairy stories all follow a similar structual pattern. This is known as the classic Narrative pattern.
The classic narrative pattern works like this:

Equilibrium= all is in order "normal, and happy

Disruption= A disruption to ther equilibrium by the means of an event/action

Recognition= there is recongnition that a disruption has taken place

Repair= An attempt to repair the damage caused by disruption

New equilibrium= The problem is solved and we return to a new type of equilibrium

Here is a example of this.
 'Artic monkeys-Leave before the lights are out' music video:

Equilibrium- A man walking on the street

Disruption- Shoe falls from the building, woman is about to suicide

Recognition- Picks up the shoe and goes up the top of the building

Repair- The man takes her to a cafe

New Equilibrium-She goes back to the top of the building and repeats.



Another Narrative theorists is Vladimir Propp. He is a Russian critic who examined 100s of examples of folk tales to see if they shared any structures. While looking at 100s of folk tales he identified 8 charcter roles.

The 8 character roles are:

1. The villain(s)

2. The hero

3. The donor-who provides an object with some magic property

4. The helper-who aids the hero

5. The princess (the sought for person) - reward for the hero and object of the villain's schemes

6. Her father- who rewards the hero

7. The dispatcher- who sends the hero on his way

8. The false hero