todorov's narrative theory

TodorovNarrative Theory

Todorov believed that within the majority narrative media lay 5 stages that made up the story that is portrayed in the narrative. I found that this theory could also be applied to many music videos. The 5 stages are: Equilibrium Disruption Realization Restored Order Equilibrium again/New equilibrium

Stages

Within Ed Sheeran’s music video ‘Give me Love’ we start with an equilibrium where the female character is depressed and lonely, watching other lovers and longing to be in their position. This is the normality (equilibrium) for this character in the narrative.

Equilibrium

Later during the video the woman gets an itch in her back that she is desperately searching for. When she finds the spot it is revealed that she is undergoing a transformation into cupid and is growing a pair of angle wings, as she removes a feather from her back.

Disruption

Just after this point in the narrative, the female character realizes that she has transformed into Cupid and takes it upon herself to try and adapt to this new lifestyle by fashioning a bow and arrows to complete the tasks of Cupid and make people fall in love.

Realization

This is the point in which the characters try to restore order to what has happened. In the music video for Give Me Love the character decides that she cannot take this duty anymore and tries to commit suicide using her own arrow, thus removing the disruption from before.

Restored Order

Finally at the end of the video, it is shown that the arrow in the female disappears as the male police officers leans over her. This alludes to the the idea of a new normality (equilibrium) in which the female character has fallen in love with the male police officer.

New Equilibrium