The document provides a narrative analysis of several music videos using different narrative theories. For Coldplay's "Paradise" music video, the elephant represents the victim trapped in the zoo, which serves as the villain. The airplane acts as the donor by helping the elephant escape to paradise. The other elephants who rescue him are the heroes. For Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me," there is initially an equilibrium that is disrupted when the popular boy does not notice Taylor's sign, but realization and restored order occur when they get together at the prom.

1. Coldplay- Paradise
Narrative theory – Prop’s narrative theory

2. Victim
The elephant is the
victim at the start of
the music video where you
can see him looking down
while holding on to bars
which suggest that he is
inside a cage making him
look submissive which
gives the audience an
insight to have sympathy
for the elephant
straightway.

3. Villain
In this music video the
villain is not shown as it
is represented by the
location which is the zoo
where animals are trapped.
Also this links back to the
fact to the scene where the
elephant is seen locked up
behind the bar. Moreover, in
this case this suggests that
the elephant is not being
able to reach his paradise.
Also it can be represented
when the police was chasing
him so their could be two
villains in this case.

4. Donor
The donor is seen as the
airplane as it aids the
elephant escape to
‘paradise’ and the fact
he hides inside the
suitcase also helps him.
This suggests that
paradise is when he is
with his other friends
which are the other
elephants.

5. Hero
Throughout the music video we can see that
other elephants (band members) come and rescue
him which links to the title of the song where
it shows that he feels like he is in paradise.
Also, it shows that he is reunited and where he
is meant to be belonging from the beginning of
the music video.

6. Taylor Swift- You
belong with me
Narrative theory- Todorov’s

7. Equilibrium:
At the beginning of the music video you that there is an equilibrium as you
can see that everything is how it is in the music video. The equilibrium is
that the male character is dating a ‘popular’ girl instead of Taylor as she
is a geek and follows the typical stereotypes of how popular boys don’t date
a geek. Moreover, Taylor the geek loves him from afar and hasn’t told him and
doesn’t have the chance to tell him as he dates another girl and the fact
that she always stays at home studying. A mid shot supports that as she holds
a sign ‘No, Studying’ when he asked her if she was going to the party. She is
shown at the beginning of the music video she is not into the party life and
all she cares about is her studies. Furthermore, this is also indicated by
the fact that she only communicates with him using her note book so it always
links to the fact that she is studying.

8. Todorov then states that
there is a disruption in
the music video and this is
shown in Taylor Swifts
music video when she holds
the ‘I love you’ sign and
he doesn’t see it, due to
him closing the curtains.
When Taylor puts the sign
down she feels so down and
that she has no hope.
Moreover, another scene
that shows disruption is
when Taylor and the boy
where sitting together and
his popular girlfriend
comes and picks him up and
she watches them kiss.
Disruption:

9. Another link to Todorov’s theory is realisation. In this
music video the realisation point is when the boy realises
that his popular girlfriend is not for him and she links
other guys while Taylor is watching this situation. This
makes him realise that the geeky Taylor is the one for him
and so when he goes home he asks her if she is going to the
party/prom. Which is now trying to get the narrative all
together.
Realisation

10. This is achieved by when Taylor attends the prom
night and they both hold the ‘I love you’ signs and
shows that that everything is resolved after all
these problems and tries to end it with a happy
ending.
Restored order

11. The new equilibrium is
created again towards the end
of the music video. When they
meet at the prom and kiss
which shows that there is a
happy ending to the music
video even though she was put
down throughout. Now
everything she dreamed about
has came true, moreover the
fact she took off her geeky
glasses makes her look less
geeky and make her look more
special.
New Equilibrium

12. Taylor Swift- You
belong with me
Narrative theory- Barthes Narrative Codes

13. In a narrative an action would be taken into place to
make the narrative more interesting and to have an
happy ending at the end. An example in Taylor Swift’s
music video is when she sees the popular boy that she
has liked for a long time arguing on the phone and
looks upset, she thought it would be a good time to
take an action to make the situation better. Because of
this action she has taken at the beginning of the music
video, she has an opportunity to express her feelings
and throughout the music video it follows it and shows
further development.
Action

14. From the beginning of the music video the audience
will question themselves if the two characters will
end up together and following with the lyrics of
the song and they would want this question to be
answered by the end.
Enigma code

15. In this music video, props are used to symbolise the
aspects of being geeky such as the glasses Taylor is
wearing, notebooks, books and the way she dresses,
where she looks innocent and pure. Moreover, in
another scene where she is seen wearing a cheerleading
costume which symbolises that she is popular and looks
more villain. So in the narrative you can symbolise
things by the way the actor dresses, and type of
props, as they are all used to show a symbolic code.
Symbolic code

16. The cultural code relates to the
typical stereotypes of each
culture. This is case we can see
that the ‘popular’ boy and girl
would date each other and
heavily links to the teen
culture in America. Which shows
that the geek would either need
to find a geek like her or be
left out always. However, at the
end of the video it challenges
these stereotypes and both the
geek and popular boy end up
dating eachother.
Cultural code

17. Beyoncé- If I were
a boy
Narrative theory- Levi-Strauss: Binary oppositions

18. Strauss’ theory is dominant throughout the music video and
emphasises binary opposites. One of the main binary opposites in
this video is man Vs Women. The music video challenges the
stereotypical ideas of males against females. The video swaps
the roles of the male and the female, so she goes out to
work(Police) and the male sees things from a female perspective.
Beyonce’s clever use of raising such a societal issue using
binary opposites, allows the audience be shocked of what the
video is representing and making them discuss the issue.
Man Vs Women

19. Throughout the music video black and white
effect has been used to symbolise the
conflict between the two gender roles man
Vs women.
Black Vs White