states that most stories and plot lines follow the same pattern in 5 steps
- Equilibrium - a happy start where the majority of the characters are content and everything is as it should be
- Disruption - features a problem or drawback which will disrupt the happiness/optimism
- Realisation - when characters are conscious of the problem and its chaos
- Restored order / Climax - individuals attempting to repair the damage and restore the complication
- Equilibrium again - the final part of the plot where the obstacle if resolved and normality can resume again
Todorov suggested that stories begin with an equilibrium or status quo where potentially opposing forces are in balance. A state of stability is followed by a disruption of the balance by some action, recognition of the problem takes place, there is then an attempt to restore the commotion and a reinstatement of the equilibrium. This is very common and can be applied to many mainstream film narratives. The human mind needs a narrative to make sense of things, we connect events and make interpretations based on those connections, in everything we seek a beginning, a middle and an end.
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