Todorov's Theory of Narrative

Todorov's Theory of Narrative is a media theory about how story narratives moves forward in a chronological order with one action following after another. This theory suggests that most stories begin with a stable situation about the character's normal routine and followed by a disruption making the story imbalanced which encourages the character to search for the a solution to bring back the normal routine in the story world.

Tzvetan Todorov's theory include; (in chronological order)

1. Equilibrium - normal routine
2. Disruption - the start of a problem
3. Recognition of disruption - when a character notices the problem
4. Attempt to Repair - the character's attempt to fix the problem
5. New Equilibrium - problem solved, back to normal routine

Case study - Barbie: Princess Charm School (2011)

SPOILER ALERT!!

The movie started with Blair Willows, a normal girl in the kingdom of Gardania, winning a lottery to enter the Princess Charm School with full scholarship. This is Blair 's equilibrium, she was on her usual routine. She was doing her job as a waitress and she spent the rest of her day with her sick adoptive mother and sister.

Blair started to attend the Princess Charm School. However, Blair was treated unfairly by most of the students and teachers, especially Dame Devin (sister-in-law of the late Queen Isabella) and Delancy (Dame Devin's daughter), as she came from a normal family unlike other students who came from a royal family and which creates the disruption in the story.

The recognition of disruption happened when Dame Devin and Delancy started to make several attempts to sabotage Blair. Later on, Dame Devin found out that Blair is the long lost princess of Gardenia which made her try to make Blair suspended from the school so she could make her daughter the princess of Gardenia.

Blair's attempt to repair was by receiving special tutoring from Headmistress Privet and practicing her walk and dance so she could ace in school. The day before the coronation party of Delancy, she and her 2 best friends sneaked into the palace to steal the Princess Crown to prove that she's the real princess, not Delancy.

The new equilibrium is when the Princess Crown shined when she wore it which proves that she's the long lost princess. She became a princess and continued her normal routine in the palace.

In this movie, the director uses Todorov's Theory of Narrative to express the story in chronological order and to give meaning to each part of the movie. The director wanted to convey that everyone has a princess potential and it teaches young girls to not hate on other people.

Barbie Princess Charm School: Trailer