Narrative theory

What is NarrativeWithin media its important to know what narrative and story is , also to know the difference between them.

• Narrative, this is them way that the events that happen within the story are put together and presented to the viewers.

• Story, in media the story is the order of events within the film, this can also be know as the plot.

• Therefore, when analysing a narrative we analyse the construction of the story ie the way it has been put component of the movie has been put together, not the story itself. You also need to consider what the story is about in its most basic terms, ie the theme (eg Love, war, winning).

• All media texts have a narrative, whether they are a six hour TV miniseries or a one paragraph newspaper story or a glossy magazine photograph.

Theory's

With narratives many different people have different theory’s. such as Todorov’s Narrative Theory, Vladimir Propp and Levi-Straus.

Todorov’s Narrative Theory

Todorov’s Narrative Theory suggests that every film starts with and EQUILIBRIUM

Then the film will have a DISRUPTION of the EQUILIBRIUM

The characters RECIGNISE the DISRUPTION in the EQULIBRIUM

After they try to repair the DAMAGE to the EQULIBRIUM

At the end they have a NEW EQULIBRIUM

Todorov’s

cycle

Example ofTodorov’s theory would

be Avatar

Avatar Tribe live peacefully, and have everything they need.

Humans start war against the tribe. Jake sully is sent in to be part of the tribe.

The tribes home tree has been planned to get destroyed by the humans.

Tree gets destroyed, Jake sully gathers the avatar tribe and fights back.

The peace is restored, and Jake sully decides to with the tribe in Avatar form.

Vladimir Propp • Vladimir Propp believes that within a narrative

only a certain number of characters has a role. • The role

Levi-Straus• Levi-straus thought that all narratives needed

conflict, and the conflict would be cause by a series of opposing forces