Narrative Theorists

Vladamir Propp was a Russian critic who analysed hundreds of fairy tales in the 1920s. He came up with the concept of defining characters to clearly defined purposes, rolls and functions for the story.

We could use this theorist towards our video when evaluating our characters and the rolls they play. For example in our narrative structure we are hoping to reveal the reality of unhappy family life, the affects of bullying and the after affects of loss. Here we have come to the conclusion to use one character to express the emotions and realities behind these situations. Therefore we have defined the roll of our character as someone who will exploit the realities of emotional ordeals.

Tzvetan Todorov was a literary theorist who suggested that at the main protagonist of a story always starts with a state of equilibrium (where life is normal and happy). The state of normality is then disrupted from an outside force and an event of resolution occurs to reinstate the equilibrium.

We have decided to use this theorist in terms of instating an equilibrium or sorts at the beginning of introducing our narratives main character/ protagonist. This will be shortly lived however because our protagonist will be facing difficulties in all angles of his life (socially and with his family as well as through the elements of social media and the internet). These angles and disruptions will allow us to conform to the theory as they will act as outside forces which disorganise the equilibrium. Unfortunately we are exploiting the realities of how some people would choose to go in situations like this by presenting our character as someone who will never encounter their equilibrium again due to them committing suicide as a drastic measure.