Narrative Theory

Claude Levi- Strauss- Binary Opposition

Binary oppositions are sets of opposite values, which reveal the structure of media texts. An example would be good and evil – we understand the concept of good as being the opposite of evil. He looked instead for deeper arrangements of themes. Binary Opposition states that there are a ‘pair of terms or concepts that are theoretical opposites.’ and therefore one cannot be there without another.

Tzvetan Todorov 

Todorov suggested that stories begin with an equilibrium where any potentially opposing forces are in balance. This is disrupted by some event, setting in chain a series of events. Problems are solved so that order can be restored to the world of the fiction.

Syd Field- The Paradigm

He came up with the idea of the three act structure, it is the idea that a film must be set up within the first twenty to thirty minutes before the protagonist experiences a 'plot point' that gives the goal that must be achieved. Roughly, half the movie's running time must then be taken up with the character's struggle to achieve the goal: this is the 'Confrontation' period. Field also refers, to the 'Midpoint', a subtler turning point that happens at approximately in Act II, the Confrontation that often has an apparently devastating reversal of the fortune for the main character. The final quarter of the film depicts a climactic struggle by the protagonist to finally achieve the goal and the aftermath of this struggle.

Vladimir Propp- Narrative Theory

He concluded that all characters could be put into 8 character types:

   1. The villain — struggles against the hero, creates narrative disruption.

   2. The dispatcher —character who sends the hero off on the task

   3. The helper — helps the hero in the task to restore equilibrium.

   4. The princess or prize — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain. The hero's journey is often ended when he marries the princess, thereby beating the villain. Sometimes also seen as a victim, the character most threatened by the villain, and has to be saved in the climax by the hero.

   5. Her father — gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, and marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. His role is usually to give the princess away to the hero at the narratives conclusion.

   6. The donor —prepares the hero or gives the hero something, which helps in the resolution of the narrative.

   7. The hero— Who is usually make, restores the narrative equilibrium by taking on the task, saving the princess and winning her hand. The hero is the protagonist or the central character.

   8. False hero — appears to be good but takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.

This theory is based on traditional texts, however these character types are transferable to modern day texts as well.