Narrative

Classic Narrative Patterns and Theories

In media terms, narrative is the coherence or organisation given to a series of facts. The human mind needs narrative in order to make sense of things and we connect events and make interpretations based on those connections. In everything we seek a beginning, middle and an end.
Tzvetan Todorov, a Bulgarian theorist, discovered that folk talks and fairy stories all followed a similar structural pattern. This is known as the classic narrative pattern and is directly applicable to films and TV dramas today.  The Classic Narrative Pattern works in five stages:

•  There is a state of equilibrium  (all as it should  be)
• A disruption of that order by an event
• A recognition that the disorders has occurred
• An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
• A return or restoration of a new equilibrium

Todorov argues that narrative involves a transformation. The characters or the situations are transformed through the process of the disruption.

There are also archetypal characters in every narrative. These are:
1. The Villain - opposes the hero.
2. The Donor - helps the hero by giving him a magical object.
3. The Helper - helps the hero.
4. The Princess - is normally the reward for the hero and needs to be protected from the villain.
5. The Father - recognises the hero and is normally sought after in the narrative.
6. The Dispatcher - sends the hero on his task.
7. The Hero - reacts to the donor and gets the princess.
8. The False Hero - takes credit for hero's actions or tries to marry the princess.

We can apply this theory to the film of Mean Girls (2004)

1   1)      Equilibrium: Cady has just started a new school, she is getting along with her friends, she is settling in, making friends

2    2)      Disruption: When ‘The Plastics’ get involved into Cady’s life the narrative is disrupted because her life becomes miserable and a state of disequilibrium begins.

3    3)      Recognition: Numerous events occur which unsettle the narrative before it is concluded, mainly attempting to bring 'The Plastics' down in the school hierarchy whilst Cady realises that she is being one of mean girls herself.

4    4)      Repair: Cady tries to repair and bring back her old self again by changing her clothes and hairstyle to what she used to wear

5    5)      New Equilibrium: The film narrative ends in a state of equilibrium similar to the beginning of the film therefore completing and confirming Todorov's narrative theory.

You can also apply Propp's theory of archetypal characters to the characters in the narrative of Mean Girls. 
1. The Villain - Regina George/Gretchen Weiners/Karen Smith
2. The Donor - Janis Ian/Damien
3. The Helper - Gretchen Weiners/Karen Smith
4. The Princess - Aaron Samuels
5. The Father - Ms. Norbury
6. The Dispatcher - Janis Ian
7. The Hero - Cady Heron (main character) 
8. The False Hero - Regina George

Trailer for Mean Girls:

 

Little Red Riding Hood- Example

• A Villian: The villain in Red Riding hood would be the wolf as he wants to do bad on the hero 
• Donor:  Meant to prepare the hero for their adventure This doesn’t really feature in most versions of Red Riding Hood
• Helper: Normally helps or saves the hero and solves the problem In Red Riding hood this would be the Lumber jack
• Princess who exists as part of the goal: This character doesn’t really feature in Red Riding hood, however the Grandmother could be considered as this as she needs saving
• Dispatcher: this would be Red Riding Hoods mother as she sends her to give her grandmother gifts
• Hero: This would be Red Riding Hood
• False Hero: There isn’t really a false hero in red riding hood, however ridng hood is considered the main hero even though the lumberjack kills the wolf

The Classic Narrative Pattern of this example is as follows:Equilibrium: 

• Equlibrium: The beginning of this fairy tale is in a state of equilibrium. This features Little Red Riding Hood walking happily through the woods when she is told by her mother to visit her grandmother and she is merely carrying gifts with her
• Disruption: An event then disrupts the equilibrium; this would be the wolf kidnaping her grandmother and disguising him as her.
• Recognition: The main protagonist or hero then realises the equilibrium has been disrupted, this would be when Riding Hood notices that her grandmother is in fact the wolf in disguise.
• Restoration: A protagonist then attempts to restore the equilibrium, usually by defeating the villain, in red riding hood this would be when the lumberjack kills the wolf with his axe
• New Equilibrium: Everything is fixed and the story ends happily. However, the villagers in the wood know they aren’t safe so this sets for a new equilibrium which repeats this.