The document discusses different narrative structures and theories of narrative. It describes linear narratives as having a clear beginning, middle, and end, while circular narratives end where they begin. Vladimir Propp analyzed Russian fairy tales and identified character roles like the hero, villain, and dispatcher. Tzvetan Todorov's theory is that narratives move from an initial equilibrium, to a disruption of that equilibrium (disequilibrium), to a restored equilibrium. Claude Levi-Strauss examined how myths reflect a culture's beliefs through binary oppositions like good vs evil.

1. NARRATIVE
INVESTIGATION

2. Narrative is the way a story is told in both fictional and non-fictional media texts. As well
as referring to the different types of story structures narrative also reflects a certain
genre.
There are different structures of narrative such as linear and circular narrative. Linear
narrative is were there is a clear beginning, middle and end. Aristole identified that the
basic linear line structure and observed that the middle section may involve some sort
of crisis being resolved at the end of the story.
Circular narrative is a structure that is the narrative going round in a circle and the film
ends were it begins. Examples of films with a circular structure are (500) Days of
Summer and The Hangover.

3. Vladimir Propp
Propp is a Russian critic and literary theorist. After analysing over 100 Russian fairy tales he
proposed that it was possible to classify the characters and their actions into clearly defined
roles and functions.
This model is useful, however as it highlights the similarites between seemingly quite different
stories.
Propp’s Character Roles
- The hero (seeks something)
- The villain (opposes the hero)
- The donor (helps the hero by providing a magic object)
- The dispatcher (sends the hero on his way)
- The false hero (falsely assuming the role of the hero)
- The helper (gives support to the hero)
- The princess (the reward for the hero, but also needs protection from the villain)
- Her father

4. Tzvetan Todorov
Todorov is a Bulgarian literary theorist. He suggests that most narratives start with a state of
equilibrium in which life is ‘normal’ and protagonist is happy.
Then the state of normality is disrupted by an outside force, which has to be fought against in
order to return to a state of equilibrium.
This model can be easily applied to a wide range of films.
Equilibrium Disequilibrium Equilibrium
This narrative theory is used in the majority of horror films and their trailers. A horror film will
always start off at an equilibrium such as a family moving into their new home. Then the
family will find out that the house is haunted which will tells us that we are at the
disequilibrium stage of the film. Finally the family will find a way to overcome the evil and
every thing will be back to normal which is the equilibrium at the end. However some horror
film don’t follow this theory, such as the Jessabelle trailer.

5. Claude Levi-Strauss
Levi- Strauss is a social anthropologist that studied myths and tribal cultures. He examined
how stories unconsciously reflect the values, beliefs and myths of a certain culture. These
factors are usually expressed in the form of binary oppositions.
His research has been adapted by media theorists to revel underlying themes and symbolic
oppositions in different media texts.
Binary Oppositions
- Examples of different binary oppositions in horror films are:
Good Evil
Dark Light
Protagonist Antagonist
Weak Strong
Past Future
Feminine Masculine