Tzvetan Todorov - Narrative Structure
Vladimir Propp - Character Functions
Claude Levi Strauss- Binary Opposites within narrative.
Todorov
The Bulgarian theorist Tsvetan Todorov talked about the idea that stories have a beginning, middle and end. He suggested that this consists of the following cause and effect pattern:
- A state of equilibrium at the outset of the narrative
- A disruption of the equilibrium by some action
- A recognition that there has been a disruption
- An attempt to repair the disruption
- A reinstatement of the equilibrium.
In our production the equilibrium at the start of the narrative is the fact that Libby May is a normal teenage girl in school with her friends, the disruption of the equilibrium is the 'dreams' she experiences, the recognition that there has been a disruption would be the fact that there has been a murder, and she tells her mum about it who refers her to a psychiatrist, which would also be seen as an attempt to repair the disruption as at this stage the audience are not aware of the fact it is in fact Libby carrying out the murders. There is not however a reinstatement of an equilibrium as Sleep Tight does not have a conventional ending.
Propp
Russian born Vladmir Propp isolated the narrative pattern of over 100 Russian Folk tales, he drew up a list of 31 functions to describe narrative transformations and although all texts did not have to include the function, the order in which the functions appeared was in variable.
He described the movement from one function to another as 'Sphere of action'.
Examples of spheres of action or functions include:
- Hero
- Villain
- Donor
- Helper
- Princess
- Dispatcher
Levi Strauss
He suggested that binary oppositions structure our understanding of the world. For example we cannot experience hate if we haven't experienced the feeling of love. It is arguable that one of the functions of narrative is to help reconcile these oppositions to make it easier for us to live with them.
Oppositions in narrative are usually represented by the functions of hero and villain, the hero representing what the film is deeming to be good and the villain representing evil.
The oppositions in narrative in our film trailer production are, sane v insane, dream v reality and good v evil. Sane representing the character of Libby as she perceives herself, and insane as she is not aware of the way in which her dreams are reality, similar to good vs evil, we see the character of Libby as Good to begin with but as we become to realise she is the one who is in fact murdering the victims we then see her as evil.
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