Approaches to Narrative..

Todorov's approach..
- They suggest that all narratives begin with the initial situation where everything is balanced.
- This is followed by some form of disruption, which is later resolved.
- With the resolution at the end, a new situation is usually established.

5 Stages..
- The state of 'Equilibrium' (state of normality).
- An event disrupts the equilibrium (character/action).
- The main protagonist recognizes that the equilibrium has been disrupted.
- Protagonist attempts to rectify this in order to restore equilibrium.
- Equilibrium is restored but, because casual transformations have occurred, there are differences (good, bad, or neutral) from original equilibrium, which establish it as a new equilibrium.

Claude Levi - Strauss's approach..
- Levi - Strauss studied hundreds of myths and legends from around the world.
- He concluded that we make sense of the world, people and events by seeing and using binary opposites everywhere.
- His observations state that all narratives are based and organised around the conflict of such binary opposites in which we seek.

Examples of Binary Opposites..
- Good vs Evil
- Black vs White
- Boy vs Girl
- Peace vs War
- Civilized vs Savage
- Democracy vs Dictatorship
- Conqueror vs Conquered
- First World vs Third World
- Domestic vs Foreign/Alien
- Articulate vs Inarticulate
- Young vs Old
- Man vs Nature