2. WHAT DOES TODOROV’S THEORY
SUGGEST?
• his theory suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure
where they begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced,
progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and
finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored.
3. STEPS OF HIS THEORY FOR ALL
TRADITIONAL STORIES.
• State of equilibrium at outset
• Disruption of equilibrium by some action
• Recognition there is a disruption
• Attempt to repair disruption
• Reinstatement of equilibrium
• This type of narrative structure is very familiar to us and can be applied
to many mainstream movies
4. APPLYING TODOROV’S THEORY TO A
MAINSTREAM FILM- ANNABELLE CREATION
• EQUILIBRIUM
The setting is in a quiet country house
The main character is a girl who is suffering from
polio.
She and the rest of her orphanage have moved in
with a couple who had lost their daughter
5. • DISRUPTION OF EQUILIBRIUM
The main character comes across a doll which is locked away
and this triggers the girl to see a ghost of the couples dead
daughter.
By opening the door and letting the doll escape, the girl has
freed a demon which has possessed the doll
For the first part of the movie, the main character is the only
one who has seen the girl.
6. RECOGNITION OF DISRUPTION
As the film continues, more of the
girls start experiencing sightings
and ghostly hauntings
By this time the main character
has become possessed and the
demon starts becoming more
violent.
The possessed main character
kills the couple and tries to kill
the orphan girls.
7. ATTEMPT TO REPAIR DISRUPTION
The girls try to get rid of the doll in
hope of getting rid of the demon
inside of the main character
This doesn’t work and the girl
attacks them anyway almost killing
the sister protecting them.
The other girls have to fend off
other possessed objects.
8. REINSTATEMENT OF EQUILIBRIUM
• The girls trap the possessed main
character with a room of bible
pages and they escape the house
before it implodes.
• The possessed girl escapes and
get put into foster care which
leads to the original movie as this
was a prequel/origin story.
• The other girls are moved away
from the haunted house but are
never to be seen again.
