Many people have theorized on narrative, and one of the most famous examples is Todorov who, basing his findings on Russian folk tales, theorized that all narratives follow a basic three part structure, in which an equilibrium (state of peace) is shattered by an event, throwing the narrative into disequilibrium, which must be resolved back into an equilibrium by the characters of the story.
Vladamir Propp similarly theorized on Russian folk tales, and came to the conclusion that there are only a certain amount of character types that appear in any narratives. They can be identified in the following manner:
Protagonist (or Hero): Leads the narrative, is usually looking for something (a quest) or trying to solve something (a mystery).
Antagonist (or Villain): Gets in the protagonist's way.
Heroine: Usually some sort of prize or reward for the hero - if your hero is female, your heroine can be male.
Father: An authority figure who offers a reward to the hero for completing their quest. That reward might be a prince or a princess for example.
Helper: Helps the hero - often acts as a sidekick.
Donor: Gives the hero something - a clue, a talisman, a special power - which helps them complete their quest.
Mentor: Teaches and guides the hero.
Another theorist, Claude Levi-Strauss, reckoned that all narratives must be driven forward by a conflict caused by a series of opposing forces. This was to become know as Binary Opposition, and some examples of this are as follows: Light/dark, good/evil, noise/silence, youth/age, right/wrong, and poverty/wealth.
These elements are found internationally across all types of narrative. However, many popular examples of traditional Philippine folk narrative deal with themes of religion - particularly supreme and lesser deities - mythical creatures, historical people and events, sacred places, and historic events.
Vladamir Propp similarly theorized on Russian folk tales, and came to the conclusion that there are only a certain amount of character types that appear in any narratives. They can be identified in the following manner:
Protagonist (or Hero): Leads the narrative, is usually looking for something (a quest) or trying to solve something (a mystery).
Antagonist (or Villain): Gets in the protagonist's way.
Heroine: Usually some sort of prize or reward for the hero - if your hero is female, your heroine can be male.
Father: An authority figure who offers a reward to the hero for completing their quest. That reward might be a prince or a princess for example.
Helper: Helps the hero - often acts as a sidekick.
Donor: Gives the hero something - a clue, a talisman, a special power - which helps them complete their quest.
Mentor: Teaches and guides the hero.
Another theorist, Claude Levi-Strauss, reckoned that all narratives must be driven forward by a conflict caused by a series of opposing forces. This was to become know as Binary Opposition, and some examples of this are as follows: Light/dark, good/evil, noise/silence, youth/age, right/wrong, and poverty/wealth.
These elements are found internationally across all types of narrative. However, many popular examples of traditional Philippine folk narrative deal with themes of religion - particularly supreme and lesser deities - mythical creatures, historical people and events, sacred places, and historic events.
