Research: Narrative Theory.

Narrative Theory.

Vladimir Propp: Propp was a Soviet formalist scholar who analysed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest complex narrative elements. He divided fairy tales into different sections. These sections allowed him to be able to define the tale into a series of sequences that occurred within the Russian fairy-tale. Usually there is an initial situation, after which the tale usually takes 31 functions. He also established that all the characters could be set into 7 broad character functions in the 100 tales he analysed: (Examples of films where this theory takes place are next to the bullet points). These are--

1. The villain — struggles against the hero. (The Joker in 'The Dark Knight')

2. The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off. (Nick Fury in 'Avengers Assemble')

3. The helper — helps the hero in their quest. (Robin in 'Batman and Robin')

4. The princess — the character who needs to be rescued. (Gwen Stacey in 'The Amazing Spiderman')

5. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object. (Lucius Fox in 'Batman Begins')

6. The hero — weds the princess. (Spiderman in 'Spiderman')

7. The false hero — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess. (Darth Vader in 'Star Wars')

Claude Levi-Strauss: Levi-Strauss is a Social Anthropologist;

he recognised that stories automatically reflect the values, beliefs and myths of a culture. These are usually stated in the form of double oppositions. His research has been modified by media theorists to reveal essential themes and symbolic oppositions in media text.

Binary Oppositions: A conflict between two qualities or terms.

The 7 things he underlined were:

Narrative
Values + Ideologies
Institutions
Representation
Language and forms
Audience
Genre

Tzvetan Todorov: Todorov is a Bulgarian Literary Theorist, he proposes that most narratives start with equilibrium, this mean that the protagonist’s life is normal and they are happy. However this state of normality is then disrupted by an outside force, which then means the character(s) have to fight to restore the state of equilibrium. This idea that Todorov has theorized can be applied to a variety of movies.

Equilibrium -> Disequilibrium -> New Equilibrium

 

 

Beginning: The beginning of the film shows what life is like before something swoops in and wreaks it all. In 10.T.I.H.A.Y Kat is someone who comes off as a bit of a cow, who doesn't care what people say about her. She's also someone who hates love.

 

 

Complication: The complication is effectively the storm, however it only lays a path for what is to come. In the screenshot we see the sisters dad telling the girls that unless Kat starts dating then her sister Bianca can't.

 

 

Climax: The climax is where the majority of the drama takes place, here in the screenshot we see Patrick Verona trying to ask Kat on a date as he was asked to help get her to start dating.

 

Resolution: A resolution doesn't always turn out to be positive, but in the film Kat finally learns how to love as you can see in the screenshot.

 

 
Task completed by Somer.