1. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
TRISTANTODOROV
Events in a story have a causal relationship with one event leading to an other in a
pattern of cause and effect.The very notion of ‘cause and effect’implies a change in a
state of affairs. For Todorov,the primary function of narrative is to solve a problem.It
is this that forms the basis of Todorov’s theory of narrative. His modelbegins with a
state of equilibrium, a condition in which everything is in a state of order. This state of
equilibrium is disrupted either by a force of some kind or through the actions of an
individual. The narrative progressesto a restoration of equilibrium, or order.
Todorovbreaks the narrative process downinto five stages
• A state of equilibrium at the outset
• A disruption of the equilibrium by some action
• A recognition that there has been a disruption
• An attempt to repair the disruption
• A reinstatement of the initial equilibrium.
TODOROV APPLIED TO BATMAN
A state of equilibrium at the outset At the start of the film ‘The Dark Knight
Rises Gothem City is safe and everything
is normal, there is no batman at the
moment because he is in hiding and has
been for a while. All of the streets in
gothom are crime free and criminals get
dealt with the normal way.
A disruption of the equilibrium by some
action
Catwoman steals pearls from Batman and
uses someone else’s fingerprints and
Batman wonders why. Gordongets shot
in the suers and then Bayne robs a bank
that’s when everything changes, then
Batman decidesto come back and help
the police and the city fight against him.
However the police don’t like Batman and
want to catch him as well even though he
is trying to help them.
A recognitionthat there has beena
disruption
Catwoman tricks Batman and traps him in
a room to get beaten up by Bayne; Bayne
then puts him in prison. Then Bayne goes
to war with the city and makes batman

2. watch in prison. Bayne has a bomb that is
going to go off and will kill everyone in
Gothem!
An attempt to repair the disruption Batman breaks out of prison and forgives
Catwoman and they both go and fight
against Bayne and try to stop the bomb
from going off. Batman defeats bane.
A reinstatement of the initial equilibrium. Batman ends up destroying the bomb in
the sea the whole of Gothem thinks
Batman is dead however he didn’t and he
just leaves Gothem with Catwoman. And
then Alfred sees Bruce Wayne and
Catwoman eating togetherin a café.