Friday, 6 July 2012

Narrative Theories


Narrative Theory’s

Tsvetan Todorov

He said that all narrative fall into a standard 3 part structure. They start with equilibrium where everything is balanced, disequilibrium as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution when equilibrium is restored or a new equilibrium is introduced.


Vladimir Propp

He constructed a list of 31 functions (these can happen, not necessarily all at the same time) and 8 character types that occur in all stories. 

 The characters consist of:
-       Villain (antagonist)
-       Dispatcher
-       Helper (magical)
-       Princess (or prize)
-       Father
-       Donor
-       Hero
-       False Hero


 Levi Strauss

His work focused on the theory of binary-opposition that is present in narratives.  This is a theory that there are always opposites such as, light/dark, good/evil, noise/silence, youth/aged, right/wrong, poverty/wealth, strength/weakness, inside/outside.


 Barthes

The way we understand a story comes from our own interpretation. Even though there may be one basic narrative in any form of media depending on how who we are an our experience influences how we interpret a video.


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