L4 Critical Study

Dave Hartedave.harte@bcu.ac.uk

@daveharte

Assessment - any questions?

Deepening our analytical skills

So far:HistoryExploring stylesGenreAuteurship

Now:Narrative

Narrative Theory

How and why stories work and why it matters.

“structure of the narrative elements in basic myths could reveal the structure of the society itself” (Will Wright 1978)

Narrative Thoery

Vladimir Propp – analysed hundreds of folk tales

Different: Plot / Characters / Settings

Same: Function of characters / Narrative units

Narrative Theory

Character types– The Hero – a character that seeks something– The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the

hero’s quest– The Donor – who provides an object with magical

properties– The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his/her

quest via a message

Narrative Theory

Character types– The False Hero – who disrupts the hero’s success

by making false claims– The Helper – who aids the hero– The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and

the object of the villain’s plots– Her Father – who acts to reward the hero for his

effort

Narrative Theory

Will Wright – Narrative Units in Westerns– The hero enters a social group.– The hero is unknown to the society.– The hero is revealed to have an exceptional

ability.– The villains are stronger than the society; the

society is weak.

Narrative Theory

Will Wright – Narrative Units in Westerns– The villains threaten the society.– The hero defeats the villains.– The society is safe.– The society accepts the hero.– The hero loses or gives up his special status.

Wright – myths in stories bind us to a social order

Narrative Theory

Todorov on Narrative StructureStable WorldDisruption (enigma)Cause and EffectResolutionStable world restored

Story / Plot

Story – our construction of what we seePlot – how the story is told to us through cause and effect

‘A plot is also a narrative of events, the emphasis falling on causality.’ (EM Forster)The king died and then the queen died” - storyThe king died, and then the queen died of grief’ - plot

Narrative Theory

Wallace and Gromit – The Wrong Trousers

Group One – look for Propp’s character types

Group Two – look for Wright Narrative Units

Group Three – Todorov’s Narrative Structure

Task

Use your own blog to discuss an aspect of narrative theory in relation to an animation film of your choice.