ASSIGNMENT 8: NARRATIVE

THEORYBy Rianne Wright

PART A – TODOROV’S THEORY

This is a sheet we completed in class where we looked at the disruptions/ conflicts and resolutions in different genres.

PART B – TODOROV’S THEORY:

The Hunger Games

Todorov suggested there are 5 stages of narrative:1.Equilibrium2.Disequlibrium3.recognition of Disequilibrium 4.Attempt to repair disequilibrium5.New Equilibrium

The next slides will show how Todorov’s theory applies to the film ‘The Hunger Games’

PART B: EQUILIBRIUM• Equilibrium is shown in the beginning of the hunger games

in the scene where Katniss and Gale are out hunting and relaxing in the forest.

PART B: DISEQUILIBRIUM

• Disequilibrium is shown in the scene where the reaping in taking place.

• This is because in this scene Katniss’s sister is chosen to go into the Hunger Games but Katniss volunteers to take her sisters place. Peeta is also picked to enter the Hunger Games.

RECOGNITION OF DISEQUILIBRIUM

• Recognition of disequilibrium can be found in the scene where the people taking part in the hunger games are taken into the training room,

• It can also be found when Haymitch begins to mentor Katniss and Peeta.

• This is because in these scenes both Peeta and Katniss have accepted that they are going into the Hunger games.

ATTEMPT TO REPAIR DISEQUILIBRIUM

• The attempt to repair the disequilibrium can be found in the scenes where Katniss is fighting for her life in the hunger games.

• It can also be found when Katniss and Peeta meet up again

and realise that they can win and go home together.

NEW EQUILIBRIUM

• The new equilibrium can be found when Katniss and Peeta survive and win the hunger games.

• This is because they have returned to their old lives, however they are not the same as before.

*Le

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Levi –Strauss believed the world is described as binary opposites and this is the same in movies as we always have a villain and a hero.

The following slides will show how this can be a applied to a variety of genres.

Night and Day…Example of a binary opposite.

* Drama:

Film Opposite 1 Opposite 2 Explanation

Batman They are opposites because:• Batman is good

he is the hero• The Joker is evil

he is the villain• Batman is trying

to save Gotham• The Joker is

destroying it The Joker is the evil villain from the batman movie

Batman is the hero, his identity is a secret.

*Horror:

Film Opposite 1 Opposite 2 Explanation

The Crazies

They are opposites because:• The man is evil

and he is trying to kill innocent people

• The woman is innocent and she is trying to survive.This character is a

zombies. He is evil as he goes around killing innocent people who have not yet been infected by the virus.

This woman is the victim trying to hide away from the evil zombie.

*ACTION:

Film Opposite 1 Opposite 2 Explanation

Mission impossible

They are opposites because:• Ethan is working

to stop the evil forces

• The other man is a terrorist

• Ethan is trying to protect the people

• The other man has the power to kill thousands if he doesn’t get what he wants.

The man (Ethan) is an American agent working against terrorist and evil forces to protect his country

This man is a terrorist, who want power and money in exchange for the safety of the people

Barthes Theory

Barthes theory is similar to Todorov’s. Barthe says that the audiences experiences of narrative involves anticipation and experience.

Barthes identified this by codes:•Enigma code•Action code •Semantic code•Symbolic code•Cultural code.

BARTHES - Enigma code

Barthes enigma code states that narratives set up puzzles to be solved by the audience. These puzzles intrigue and draw in the audience.

For example this scene from the film Saw raises questions from the audience like..

Who is the person on the floor?What happened to them? Who are all the people in the room?

BARTHES - Action code These are codes of behaviours or actions that lead the audience to expect

certain consequences. Thriller/ Mystery Romance

Action: villain holding a knife standing behind teenage girl.

Action: couple have broken up but still miss each other

Assumption: The girl is going to die

Assumption: the couple will get back together.

BARTHES - Semantic code

These are the connotative meanings of characters, locations, objects etc.

BARTHES - Symbolic code

These are symbolic features which signify oppositions. This example is from the film Harry Potter and the deathly hallows part 2.The dark costume and evil facial expression

connotes that this group of people are the villains in this film.

These features signify opposition with the characters on the next page as it shows that they are one the ‘bad’ side.

Barthes – symbolic code These are symbolic features which

signify oppositions. This example is from the film Harry Potter and the deathly hallows part 2.

In this scene from the film the statues are brought to life to defend Hogwarts. The fact that they are defending the school shows that the are on the ‘good’ side.

In this scene a force field is created to protect Hogwarts from the ‘dark side’. As we can see the shield protecting the school is a white colour which signifies peace, good and purity.

This image shows the symbolic features of the heroes as all the characters are illuminated in a bright white light.

Barthes symbolic code Another Example from The Lord of the Rings.

Gandalf represents good, which the audience can tell because of the colour of his clothes (white) and his relaxed and calm demeanour

From this picture the audience can tell that this character is the ‘villain’ because of his dark clothes, angry facial expression and evil disfigured face.

BARTHES - Cultural code

Outside knowledge we share to bring understanding of the meaning in a text. This often happens through references to popular culture and historical events.

The cultural code can be applied to the film the Kings Speech because it is based on historical events.

The King's Speech is a British historical drama film about King George VI ( played by Colin firth) who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue.

Propp’s theory

Propp developed a theory about the seven types of characters in traditional classic fairy tales. He called this the ‘ seven spheres of action’ which are :

1. Hero2. Villain3. Dispatcher4. Donor 5. helper6. Heroine7. False hero

The next slides will identify these characters in the film The

hunger games.

Propp – Hero

The hero is usually: ●On a quest/ search

●Traditionally male however today more female heroes are being seen like Katniss from The Hunger Games

Propp – villian

The villain :●Opposes the hero●Causes destruction●And often poses a threat to the safety of the heroine.

●The ultimate villain from the hunger games would be the president of Capitol as he is the person that created the hunger games.

●However there is another villain in the movie and this would be Cato as he poses a threat to the safety of both Katniss and Peeta.

Propp - dispatcher

The dispatcher usually :●Starts the hero on their way.●Is the father of the heroine.

●In the case of The Hunger Games Cinna is the dispatcher as he helps Katniss and prepares her for the hunger games.

Propp - donor

The Donor usually:

• Helps the hero by giving them a tool/gift (which could also be advice) to help them on their journey

• The donor in the Hunger games is Haymitch as he helps to prepare Katniss for the hunger games by giving her advice on what to do.

Propp - helper• As the name suggests the helper assists

the hero in restoring normality/ equilibrium

• Rue is the helper in the Hunger Games as she helps Katniss when she is hurt and takes care of her.

Propp - heroine• The Heroine is usually female – but not

always – and is a more passive and vulnerable character. The heroine often falls in love with hero

• In the Hunger Games Peeta is the heroine as he falls in love with Katniss

and needed rescuing from the Katniss.

Propp – false hero

The false hero is initially on the side of the hero but then turns against or deceives him/her

Tempts hero away from quest. There is no false hero in The Hunger Games, so an example of a false

hero from another movie would be Victor from the Underworld movie.

Victor is the false hero because:•He lied to Selene (the hero) by telling her that the lycans had killed her family when it had been him.•He tried to kill Selene and the man the she loved.

Task e – key terms

The diegesis is the internal world created by the story that the

characters themselves experience and encounter.

An example of this is the film Avatar as the characters are in their own world

Diegesis

Unrestricted narration: An unrestricted narration is one which has no limit to the

information that is presented ( there is nothing hidden from the audience).

An example of this is the documentary March of the Penguins.

Narrative range –

Restricted narration: Restricted narration only offers a restricted amount of

information and this may be to create enigmas. Restricted narration is usually used in thrillers. An example of restricted narration in films is the film Texas Chainsaw Massacre as the villain is wearing a mask which means he is hiding his identity and the audience is unable to see who he is.

Narrative range -

Allan Cameron identified four types of modular narratives which are:• Forking path• Episodic• Anachronic• Split screen

As I am doing the green level I will explain the forking path, episodic and anachronic narrative.l

Modular narratives: Allan cAMERON

Forking paths juxtapose alternate version of a story, showing the possible outcomes that might result from small changes in a single even of group of events.

An example of this is in the movie Sliding Doors, where the story alternates between the character catching the train and finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman, and the character missing the train and not finding out about her boyfriend.

To understand this narrative better, the trailer for this film

explains how this forking path narrative is used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsQuNu4NBmQ&safe=active

Forking paths

This narrative involves flash-backs and flash-forwards, these

narratives also often repeat scenes directly or via a different perspective.

An example of an anachronic film is the film 4-3-2-1 as in this film the same day is shown four times but in the perspectives of four different people.

Anachronic

Episodic narratives can be organised as an abstract series or an

anthology.• Abstract series – which is structured so that all the series go in

order.• Anthology narrative – consists of a series of shorter tales which

appear to be disconnected but share a random similarity. Episodic structure can also be described as narratives that have

many heroes with many goals. An example of this is the film Crash which is an anthology narrative.

Episodic

The film crash is episodic because: It features many characters that aim for

their own goals The characters – and their goals- are

intertwined with each other ( for example the shop owner and the locksmith )

Each character has their own story which doesn't appear to be connected but is.