2. • This is a narrative which doesn’t answer the
questions at the end and leaves some
questions unanswered for example. For
example Supersize me doesn’t answer the
question as to what will happen to
McDonald's in the future

3. • This is a narrative which answers most
questions. Again Supersize me can be used as
an example here as although it doesn’t answer
the questions regarding the future of
Mcdonalds it does provide us with answers
regarding the results of his ‘30 day McDonald
binge’ as we see the results at the end. So it
could be said his personal journey within the
documentary is left closed but the rest is left
unanswered and open.

4. • Has one main plot line for example in films.

5. • Has more than one plot line a good example
of this is Soaps such as Eastenders and
Emmerdale.

6. • Has several follow up episodes not just one for
example documentary programmes such as
Panorama are seen as a series as they have
more than one episode.

7. • This is where the event’s in the
film/documentary appear in the same
chronological order as they would in real life

8. • This is where they are not in the order of real
life events and in this case things such as
flashbacks and flash forwards would be used.

9. • This is a director who wants to convince you
that you are watching real life events, just like
in Supersize Me.

10. • This is where the director wants you to know
that this is a documentary. Non realists will
tend to use the reflexive mode, in order to
convey the fake set up. (Show use of camera
etc)

11. • Beginning, Middle, End
• Problem, Quest, Solution
Above are the usual (basic) components in
which make up a narrative structure as you
can see we start with a problem at the
beginning a quest in order to solve the
problem is then under taken in order to
resolve the problem during the middle and
usually a solution to the problem as a result of
the quest is found at the end.

12. Tzvetan Todorov is a Bulgarian philosopher. He
outlined a simple theory on how the fictional
world is made up.
• It starts off with the Equilibrium(Normality)
• The Equilibrium then suffers from disruption
(Disequilibrium) from an opposing force
• Unifying force – This is where a quest is
usually undertaken to restore the equilibrium.
• Resolution – This is where Restoration of the
equilibrium is returned.

13. • The equilibrium is the generation he grew up
in, When eating out much was rare and home
cooking was more popular.
• The opposing force is McDonalds
• The Unifying Force is Himself and his team he
has hired to help (dieticians, girlfriend etc) as
they try to defeat McDonalds.
• Resolution- Unfortunately for Spurlock the
restoration of the Equilibrium doesn’t happen
as McDonalds remain

14. • It starts off with a group of friends taking a trip for a stag
do to Las Vegas as one of them is due to get married.
(Equilibrium)
• This is then disrupted as they loose one of their friends
while in Las Vegas
• The quest is then taken on as they try to find their friend
so they can return home in time for the wedding
• Resolution/Restoration – The Equilibrium is restored
when they find their friend and are able to make it back
home in time for the wedding.

15. Vladimir Propp, was essentially interested in the narrative of folk tales
and noticed they were similar in many areas. He felt they had the same
basic struggles and they appeared to have stock characters. He
identified a theory about characters and actions as narrative functions.
As according to Propp they have a narrative function which provide a
structure for text
• The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest
• The Donor – who provides an object with magical properties
• The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message
• The False Hero – who disrupts the hero’s success by making false
claims
• The Helper – who aids the hero
• The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the
villain’s plots
• Her Father – who acts to reward the hero for his effort

16. • Hero – Morgan Spurlock
• Villain – Mcdonalds
• Helper – Dietician and Doctors
• Princess – His Girlfriend
• Princess’s Father – initially it would be seen as his Girlfriends
father as she is the princess although he is not shown in the
documentary so this one doesn’t apply.
• Dispatcher – Girlfriend
• False Hero – Certain food industries within the documentary.
For example the man who states ‘we are part of the problem’
(who we think possibly lost his job after stating that)
• Donor – Dietcian and Doctors

17. • Villain – The Agents
• Donor – Morpheus
• Helper – Trinity
• Princess – Trinity
• Dispatcher – Morpheus
• Hero – Neo
• False hero - Cypher

18. • Claude Levi Strauss Came up with the
following theory on narrative:-
• Binary oppositions- This is where
characters/themes within a film are in direct
opposition from one another i.e. Hero vs.
Villain and Good Vs Evil for example as seen in
films such as ‘Dawn of the Dead’ and
‘Hostage’. He believed that the human brain is
programmed to see the world in terms of
such oppositions and this is reflected in
narrative.