Tzvetan Todorov's work in narrative can be applied to many literary, film, and media texts. He described narratives as having a chronological quality outside of plot; a process shared in common
- Equilibrium - Balance, routine
- Disruption
- Recognition of disruption
- Attempt to Repair
- New Equilibrium
Case Study - Moana (2016)
Moana lives a perfect island life full of abundance, this is shown with the opening song 'Where we are'. This is Moana's equilibrium, the islanders are happy, although Moana would like to voyage into the ocean.
The disruption occurs when the islanders start to discover that many of their crops are infected and there are no fish in the surrounding areas. The recognition is when Moana is told about this and discovers that she must journey across the ocean to find Maui to fix the problem.
The attempt at repair happens in the climax when Moana discovers the truth about the 'villain' Te Ka, and returns the stone which Maui stole to it's correct place.
The new equilibrium is a return to the life of abundance, however this time Moana and the other islanders are free to voyage across the oceans and discover new homes.
In order to show that you have a deeper reading of the text, you must analyze the choices for these stages in the film. What message is the producer trying to give you? Which equilibrium is shown in a positive light? What does the disruption tell you about society? The message often comes from the events that took place in order to make the repair. For example, is the producer telling us that we mustn't be arrogant like Maui, or else bad things might happen. Or should parents trust their children to be more independent, and give them freedom to make their own bad choices.
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