Todorov's Narrative Theory

Tzvetan Todorov (1969) constructed a theory of the narrative structures of horror, his basic theory consisted of:

• Equilibrium- Everyone if is equal status.
• Agent Of Change- What disrupts everything.
• Final Resolution
• New Equilibrium- Everything is back to normal.

Todorov also states that through the narrative cycle, each of the characters undergo a transformation where their situations are changes throughout the process of the disruption.

He also developed and extended theory which is the following:

• Exposition- Background information of the characters.
• Development- Of the situation.
• Complication- Main event and action.
• Climax- Confrontation.
• Resolution- Restoration of equilibrium.

An example of this could be used within he film released - 'The Faculty':

Exposition-

Some of the schoolteacher are shown,three of them. The opening scene is on the school grounds where each of he man characters re introduced, this allowed the audience to have an insight of their personalities.

Development-

Slowly,members of the school/college are infected by the organism (alien parasite).

Complication/Main Event-

After the realisation that cocaine can be used to kill the alien, they run out of supplies. Zeke and Casey are forced to leave the gym where they are safe, and get more supplies from the care having to face the army of aliens.

Climax/Confrontation-

Discovery that Marybeth is the 'queen alien' and changes into an aquatic creature, trying to infect the remaining survivors.

Resolution-

Casey kills the queen alien by trapping her and stabbing her in the eye with the drug. Everything is returned to normal, although certain characters merge friendships.

(Second Beginning).

Flaws In Todorov's Theory:

• Horror does not always follow the structure as other techniques could be used to unfold the narrative e.g. Flashbacks.