Narrative Theories

Tzvetan Todorov
Proposed that all narratives have 5 stages and this occurs in films, TV, literature as well as other media texts.

• Equilibrium - Normality at the beginning - when everything appears as it should.
• Disruption - When something happens to upset the normality. 
• Acknowledgement - When the main protagonist realises something has happened and decides to act upon this. 
• Attempt to restore - The attempt to get things back to normality. 
• New equilibrium - Everything is back to the new version of normality. 

Band of Horses- Dilly

• Equilibrium - Bikers ride into town oblivious to the fact that the local people will be against them and take offence to their presence. 
• Disruption - In the bar when it is clear that both groups of people have a mutual dislike of one another and the bikers react by shooting their fingers at people. 
• Acknowledgement - This occurs when the policeman picks up the phone to call for back-up to help deal with the threat from the bikers. 
• Attempt to restore - The bikers are stopped from leaving town and there is a shoot-out to determine who wins. 
• New equilibrium - Bikers depart after the shoot-out and they go on the run from the law whilst the townspeople struggle to recover from the devastation of the attack. 

Enrique Inglesias - Hero 

• Equilibrium - They are on the run with the money and are riding off into the sunset. 
• Disruption - Occurs when we see who the villain is and that rather than riding off into the sunset they are riding towards the villain. 
• Acknowledgement - When Enrique realises that he can't run anymore and that he has to fight to survive. 
• Attempt to restore - Enrique fights for his woman and the money. 
• New equilibrium - Enrique loses the fight and dies, the villain get arrested and the girl survives and runs off with the money. 

Katy Perry - Roar

• Equilibrium - Plane crashes and she is stranded in a jungle with a man. 
• Disruption - Tiger comes and attacks the man and she runs aways,  ending up alone and scared in the jungle. 
• Acknowledgement - She accepts her surrounding and comes to terms with her situation.
• Attempt to restore - She learns to live alongside the wild animals and enjoys being around them.
• New equilibrium - She becomes queen of the jungle.