Narrative

Narrative is the bare bones of a story and can commonly be found in fairy tales. Narrative patterns are even used today and can be found in most conventional films.

Tzvetan Todorov and Vladimir Prop proposed that the narrative pattern works like:
Equilibrium -> Disruption -> resolution -> restored order -> New equilibrium

The narritive pattern can be applied to the film Finding Nemo, where the film starts with the equilibrium of Nemo living with his dad in the reef community then that is disrupted when Nemo is taken by the diver and resolved when he is found by his dad leading to restored order and a new equilibrium for the characters back on the reef.

Levi-Strauss said a story will typically have these binary opposites:
Hero/Villain, Rich/Poor, Male/Female and Fear/Happiness.
or in a typical western film:
Cowboys/Indians/Native Americans, Sheriff/Outlaws, Nature/The railroad, Wilderness/Cultivation

Vladimir Propp also proposed that there were 8 character roles.
1. The villain
2. The hero
3. The donor (who provides the hero with an object)
4. The helper (who aids the hero)
5. The princess (the sought after person)
6. Her father (who rewards the hero)
7. The dispatcher (who sends the hero on his way)
8. The false hero