Short description on Narrative theory

4. Tzvetan Todorov
• Bulgarian literary theorist
• Suggests most narratives start with a state of
equilibrium in which life is normal and
protagonists happy
• This state of normality is disrupted ny an
outside force, which has fought against in
order to return to a state of equilibrium
• This model can easily be applied to a wide
range of films.

8. Claude Levi-Strauss
• Social anthropologist
• Studied myths and tribal culture
• Examined how stories unconsciously reflect
the values, beliefs and myths of the culture
• These are usually expressed in the form of
binary oppositions.
• His research has been adapted by media
theorists to reveal underlying themes and
symbolic oppositions in media texts.

9. Binary oppositions
• A conflict between two qualities or terms
• For example 1970s western films
• Homesteaders Native Americans
• Christians pagan
• domestics savage
• weak strong
• garden wilderness
• inside society outside society