Representation Theories

Claude Levi-Strauss (1908 - 2009)
Binary Opposites

• Good v Evil
• Black v White
• Tall v Short

Vladimir Propp (1895 - 1970)
Character Roles

1. The Hero - The character who seeks something (In films and on TV, the 'hero' can be male/female, someone who moves the story forward, e.g. Bridget Jones, Homer Simpson, and James Bond
2. The Villain - The character who tries to stop the hero in his persuit
3. The Donor - who provides an object with some property
4. The Helper - aids the hero
5. The Princess - the reward for the hero - often the object the villain schemes
6. Her Father - rewards the hero
7. The Dispatcher - who sends the hero on his way
8. The False Hero - seems to be hero initially, but turns out to be evil/red herring (a character or object that is introduced as seemingly important. It is left behind/forgotten, never mentioned again - turns out to have no importance)

Tzvetan Todorov (1939 - )
The classic beginning, middle and end.

All stories begin with an equilibrium, this is disrupted and then restored.

3 Part Narrative Structure:

1. Equilibrium (Beginning)
2. Disruption of equilibrium (Middle)
3. Restoration, or a new equilibrium is created.