Narrative Theory applied to "The Shining"

Propp:


Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp was a Russian and Soviet formalist scholar who analysed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales to show there simplest narrative structor. His book Morphology of the Folktale was published in Russian in 1928, it was through to be a breakthrough in both folkloristics and morphology and influenced Levi-Strauss and Barthes


This is Propp's theory that I have applied to The Shining

Character Roles:

·      The Villain: Jack, The Hotel and Grady.

·      The Donor: Halloran – donates the shining and the snow cat.

·      The Helper: Wendy, Danny and Tony.

·      The Princess: Wendy and Danny

·      The Princess Father: Jack (at the start of the film).

·      The Hero/Victim: Wendy and Danny (not very clear in most of the film).

·      The False Hero: Jack.

·      Despatcher: Unclear.

Successful Bits:

           

            Some of his theory seems to fit in to the narrative of the film and it also makes you think about which character fulfils which role within the film.

Unsuccessful Bits:

            Not all of it applies to the film.

Usefulness:

            Makes you think about the narrative in better detail and helps us understand the film and allows us to dig deeper into the story of the film.

Todorov:

Tzvetan Todorov  is a Franco-Bulgarian philosopher. He has lived in France since 1963 writing books and essays about literary theory, thought history and culture theory

Successful Bits

           
His theory of having an equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.

·      Equilibrium – normal home life and Jack applying for the job at the hotel.

·      Disequilibrium – Jack going mental.

·      New equilibrium – Danny and Wendy escaping to safety.

Unsuccessful bits:

            This isn’t a straightforward narrative, unlike Todorov’s narrative theory of having a beginning, middle and end. With this film its more like Beginning, middle, false end, new middle and then the real end. This is due to Wendy thinking that she has escaped from jack by locking him in the storeroom.

Usefulness:

            Makes you think about the films narrative in minor detail but not in much depth.

Levi-Strauss

Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, and has been called the "father of modern anthropology"

Successful Bits:

            His idea of having binary opposites in films fits in with this film. Such as Good vs Evil, Sane vs Insane, Real vs Unreal, Innocents vs Evil?

Usefulness:

            Makes you think about the film in greater detail and more about what’s going on within the film.