Narrative theory

To look at our storyline more critically we looked a narrative theories which we learn't in our media lesson. Narrative theories refer to the way the story is told in both fictional and non-fictional texts, we looked at theorist Propp and Toderov the help aid our storyline.

 

Narrative theory 1: Propp

 

Propp looked at folk tales and saw some structures they shared in common. He found 8 character roles and 31 functions that mvoe the story along. The 8 character roles can also be types of action because they are no the sort of roles whihc appear in the cast list. One character in the film or place can occupy several of his character roles or types of action. These are

 

1. The villian

2. The hero (not always good byt always carries the story along. the central character and not always male)

3. The doner (who provides an object with some special property)

4. The helper (who helps the hero)

5. The princess (the rewaard for the hero and object of the villan's schemes)

6. Her father (who rewards the hero)

7. The dispatcher (who sends the hero on his way)

8. The false hero

 

The 31 funcitons includes events such as:

- The heros is prohibited from doing something.

- The villian learns something about the victim

- The villian is punished

 

And etc.

 

Narrative theory 2: Todorov

 

Todorov also saw the underlying structure on narratives

 

He argues that stories all begin in 'equilibruim' when all forces are in balance. This disrupted by a problem to cause 'disequilibrium' Then more events take place before a 'new equilibrium' is established. Many film makers today don't bother setting up the normal world in order to disrupt it with a problem (a killer shark etc.) and go straight for the problem and disequilibrium. However, there will always be a sense in the film of what life was like before the problem came along and therefore what the characters can return to if they can only sort the problem out.

 

These narrative theories has given our group and insite of how to plot our story and how to add twists that may be beneficial or detrimental towards the hero. We had also found within our storyline that the characters that we have scouted and the roles we have given to them coincide with Propps character archetypes and functions as the villian does get punished for his actions. Furthermore, we had also noticed that the equilbrium changes when the hero's girlfriend gets kidnapped but a 'new equilbrium' occurs when they become reunited as the story comes to a close.