Narrative

1. Level 2 Media Unit 1C: Narrative
Linear narratives: Todorov’s Narrative Structure
Narrativesinthe mediacanbe either linearornon linear. A linearnarrative quite literallyfollowsa
line,withaclearbeginning,middleandend. Increasinglythoughnarrativesare nonlinear,where
the story movesaroundintime andspace,usingtechniquessuchas flashback, flashforward,a range
of concurrent narrativesand narrators (characterswhotell the story).
Many HollywoodfilmsandTV dramas still follow abasiclinearstructure. The theorywe use to
analyse these wasoriginatedbyamediawritercalled Todorov.
Todorov(1973)’s model of narrative structure maybe usedacrossa varietyof forms(fictional /non-
fictional) andarange of media(print,TV,film, gamesetc..)
Todorov’smodel,whichisalsoknownasthe equilibrium/disequilibriummodel, isasfollows:
All storiesare similar in structure,in thatthey sharea movementacrossa series of threephases
which relate to a “problem”or a disruption:
OR:
Equilibrium Dis-equilibrium New equilibrium
Genre
example
Establishing
problem
Elaboration
/
developme
nt
Complicatio
n
Actionclimax Resolution
Romance
(Jane the
Virgin)
Petra and her hotel
owner husband
Rafael want to sort
things out in their
relationship.He
feels ‘trapped’.
Rafael’s
sister agrees
on him
being
trapped in
the
relationship.
The wife
Petra over
hears them
talking
about
divorce.
Petra gets
frustrated
and worried
and walks
away from
their
conversation
Petra the wife
does not
confront her
husband in
front of
everyone. She
acts normally
around
everyone. Petra
brings up trying
for a baby
which hasn’t
been working
for the both of
Rafael
struggles to
bringthe
subjectof
divorceinto
the
conversation
. Jane
concentrates
on her
current
partner
Michael,and
gives away
1.Establishinga
narrative “problem”
2.Elaborationof problem
(development 3.complication
4.Actionclimax
cclimax)
5.Resolution

2. them.
This makes it
very difficultfor
Rafael to walk
away from the
relationship.
Rafael kisses
Jane. Who he
has seen before
around his
area.Jane
admits to
Michael that
she wants to
give away the
baby to Rafael
and Petra.
Rafael is
concerned as
he feels as he’s
trapped in the
relationship.
Petra also uses
his sample
behind his
back.
her baby to
Rafael and
Petra
Horror
(American
Horror Story)
(Linear)
Two men are in the
woods, they shoot a
crocodileto sell.
They come across a
strange lady who
finds itvery
offensive that they
killed a crocodileto
use for material,
two me are then
attacked by
crocodiles who
came back alive.
Later in the
episode. We
find a group
of witches,
who cause
problems,
one of the
girls caused
damage to
an agitated
man’s arm
this led to a
meeting
with all the
witches.
Detectives
came to
question the
witches due
to the
incident
between the
bus
situations.
This makes it
harder for
Fiona as she
is holding
another lady
hostage,
who sheis
usingto get
information
and answers
from.
Fiona gets mad
due to the
questioning
session.As one
of the witches
confess the
truth this
causes a
problem, Fiona
then offers the
detectives
water which
makes them
confess all the
evidence they
have on all the
witches.
They all come
together and
put body parts
of their victims
to make their
friend come
back alive
Threatened
by the head
witch Fiona.
This led to
resolving
their
problem with
the
detectives
and police.
This made
the witches
not get
caught being
involved with
the bus
incident.
Action
(Luke Cage)
A un reliablepolice
officer who is
dealingwith a
felony meets up
with Cottonmouth
who is wanted by
the police,who
Police
officer
Scarfe is
then found
in the local
barbershop
by Luke
Detective
Scarfe
struggles to
give
information
to Luke Cage
and Claire.
Cottonmouth
has other police
working for him
and insists one
of his team
members to
find Luke Cage
Luke Cage
protects
Detective
Scarfe and
Claireby
getting hurt.
Luke Cage

3. The type of narrative problemanditsresolutionwilldependon the genre of the film.Soina crime
story,the narrative problemisthe solvingof acrime. There are twistsor elaborationsof characters
as suspects.Eventuallythe problemwillbe resolvedwiththe arrestordeathof the lawbreaker.
turns on the officer
for no reason.This
leads on to
Cottonmouth
continuously
shootingthe officer
in the chest, he
luckily gets cover
behind his car.
Cage and
Claire.He
has a bullet
stuck in his
leg. Luke
Cage and
Claire
successfully
remove the
bulletfor a
chancein
getting
information
on
Cottonmout
h
This causes
complication
as his work
partner
Misty feels
he is missing
as he hasn’t
showed up
to work.
Luke Cage
and Claire
moves
Scarfe into
an
ambulance.
To go to the
hospital,due
to Scarfe’s
safety.
and Scarfe. He
insistson
wanting him
dead.
Cottonmouth’s
team members
find the van
Luke Cage is
driving,the
men all gather
and shoot the
wrong van.
Misty finds out
she is in the
same car as one
of
Cottonmouths
workers who
was actingas
one of the
police
members.
Cottonmouth’s
men get close
to Luke Cage,
Scarfe and the
nurse Claire.
gets arrested
due to his
criminal
ways.
Sci Fi (Sense
8)
Mumbai wants to
talk to her husband
about the police
questioningher,
she is admitting
that she didn’t say
everything she
wanted to about
her husbands
father. His father
also didn’twant
them to get
married.
Mumbai’s
husband
comes clean
and admits
that he
already
knew that
his father
was against
his wishes to
marry
Mumbai
Mumbai
goes to the
temple as
her mother
in law
wishes her
to do, she
comes
across her
religious
neighbours,
who then
come very
aggressive
and
demanding
to enter
temple and
to become
one of ‘us’
as one of the
religious
individuals
Mumbai gets
frustrated and
her senses
switch to her
friend Will.He
helps her and
the religious
group leave her
alone. Mumbai
tries to sortout
her own
problems with
her group of
friends who
suffer with
enhanced
senses.
They all get
together and
discover that
they all have
enhanced
senses.They
can go into
each other’s
spaces when
they think
hard.They
feel each
other’s
feelings.
Mumbai
finds
someone she
truly loves in
the group.
The
relationship
is finally not
forced.

4. Lookingat the openingorclimax of a filmcan establishwhatnarrative problemsare being
establishedandresolved.ApplyingTodorov’smodel toawhole filmcanoftenreveal abasic
structure behindwhatappearstobe a complicated story.