The film Orphan follows a conventional linear narrative structure with a beginning (set-up), middle (conflict), and end (resolution). In the beginning, a married couple adopts an orphan named Esther to be part of their family. During the middle of the film, Esther starts trying to kill the family. By the end, the mother discovers Esther's true identity and kills her, having saved her daughter and resolved the conflict brought on by Esther. Using this clear narrative structure provides resolution that satisfies audience expectations.

1. Assignment 6: simple film
narrative structure analysis
Pamela younes

2. Orphan (Horror)
• The orphan ‘Esther’ is 30 years old and
escaped from a mental hospital years
ago. And went to an orphanage.
• A married couple want to have a child
but the mother always gets dreams
about her last miss-carriage
• She decided to adopt Esther not
knowing who she really was. That child
then tries to kill the mothers biological
children, and to become in a
relationship with the dad
• She killed the son and the dad, but the
mother managed to save her daughter
and herself
• Esther then gets killed by the mother.

3. Has the institution created a text with a
conventional (stereotypical) narrative structure
• There is a  beginning (set-up) in the film
 middle (conflict)
 end (resolution)
Orphan. This means that it does use a clear
linear narrative.

4. Explain how the film is narrative
implicit or explicit?
explicit narrative reasons Implicit narrative evidence
Its clear how it shows that she's scared of getting another As she keeps getting this
child dream she’s obviously thinking
about it and remembers what
happened to her in the past.
Its also clear how the orphan wants to kill the children She puts the tree house on fire
while knowing the child is in
their and wants to kill him.
Also how the dad wouldn't believe the mother when she She made the car fall down the
explains about Esther (orphan) hill while the girl is in their and
the mother knew it was Esther
but the dad wouldn't believe
her.
How Esther wants to be with the dad She fixes her self up, and
touches the dad very sexually
and told him that she loves
him .

5. How the film uses conventional
narrative structure (Act 1)
• Act 1 (set-up):
• At the beginning of orphan it shows us that the parents wanted another child and
chose Esther, she begins being kind and being part of the family.
Nightmare Counselling orphanage Brings her home
She keeps getting Talks about how she When choosing the They have picked her and would
dreams about her was an alcoholic after right child to enter enter her to the family. This is a
miscarriage, this the incident and talks the family. Shows set up as they have a new
shows that she about how she has that the story would member to the family
would do something stopped and how she be based on her
about it would adopt

6. How the film uses conventional
narrative structure (Act 2)
• Act 2 (conflict):
• During the middle of the movie, Esther starts to try and kill the family. And draws
many pictures but behind the pictures they have turned to evil.
Car accident Kills the nun Burn the house tree A night with the dad
Esther left the girl in When Esther killed the Burnt down the house Esther gets ready puts
the car and locked nun that was going to tree while the boy was makeup and wears a dress
all the doors, and warn the mother about in there and Esther so she thinks that she
made the car fall Esther how she escaped a saw him suffer and would have a romantic time
down the hill by mental hospital years ago then jumped down with the dad
itself as she is 30 years old from the tree in the
end

7. How the film uses conventional
narrative structure (Act 3)
• Act 3 (resolution):
• At the end of the film the mother finds out who she really is and goes and kills her as
she finds out that she’s going to go and kill her daughter and husband.
Kills the boy in Kill the dad Tries and kills the Kills Esther
hospital daughter
They took the boy to the The dad said he didn't After she kills him she The mother killed the
hospital and Esther tries love her in that way so then looks for the Esther, she saved her
and takes the oxygen she went took all her daughter so she can daughter and her self.
mask from his face while makeup off and wants kill her, but then the Her husband and her
he was unconscious , so to go and kill him mother comes and son died because of
he could die. Esther tries to kill both Esther and her anger
of them problems.

8. The mum is very happy to see
max, as she has a big smile on
Annotated pictures...
her face
She’s very
happy (no one
to upset her)
Has a bag, so
Max gifted something
she came back
for her mum
from school

9. The dad is happy to have a new
member to the family.
Annotated pictures...
Looking at
Esther shows
that the mum
is
excited/happy
to have her
There in the car travelling home from Her hands are closed together, shows
the orphanage that she’s ready and also excited

10. The mother is very
happy that she got a
new sister to max
Annotated pictures…
The mother
Grumpy is giving
because he’s comfort to
holding the max not to
bags be shy and to
go and play
Max is shy meeting her new
Smartly dressed for her first
sister
day to her new house

11. He looks scared and worried
because he doesn’t know how
to escape
Annotated pictures…
Esther
put fire to
the tree
house
fire
He went to the corner of the tree house
furthest away from the fire

12. Why have the film makers done this
narrative order?
• The film makers have done this order as the
audience are used to watching films in
chronological order that would have the set-up,
the conflict and the resolution.

13. What impact does this have on the
audience?
• They would feel good after the movie as
something good has happened after the conflict
is over and sorted.
• They would feel this as its a happy ending.

14. What audience expectations have they
established or challenged by using this structure?
• After they have used the linear narrative
structure (the film is in chronological order) the
audience would feel happy again as the villain
has dies after killing two of the family members.
• They would still feel good after the dad and the
son dies because the daughter lived also Esther
dies so the audience knows she wouldn’t kill
anyone anymore.