tOdOrOv

...TODOROV...

He was a Bulgarian structural linguist who was interested in the way that language is ordered to infer particular meanings and has been very influential in the area of narrative theory. Todorov argued that all stories have a common narrative structure
Stories begin with equilibrium: this means that all forces in a story are in balance.

There is then disruption of the equilibrium: something that happens that sets off a chain of other reactions. There is finally a close, establishing a new equilibrium, often different (improved?) from the first. This does not simply mean that all stories have a beginning, a middle and an end (this is obvious). Todorov also demands that we consider why and how a story has been told in a particular way and not in another. What is the point of view of the producer? Why have some aspects been chosen over others? Todorov’s point is that all stories are constructed and that the form (the manner of construction) influences how the story is received.

http://www.egglescliffe-arts.org.uk/media/narrative/todorov.htm