18th september 2012, waterloo road presentation

Todorov's Theory Of Narrative Structure

1. Equiilibrium -
There is not a fully balanced state of affairs at the end because it is a series and story lines need to continue on to the next episode,

2. Disruptions -
Although there are lots of disruptions to the story lines eg

• The head teachers dad getting involved even though he hasn't seen his son in so long.
• Sally embarrasses her daughter Imogen throughout the episode.
• The escalating tension between alcoholic teacher Christine and her son Connor resulting in him setting the boiler room on fire.
• The head - teacher also has problems when outraged parents begin to remove their children from the school.

3.Recognition Of The Disruption-

• The head-teacher has to overcome the problems from the media in order to save the school, because as the media reports more and more bad thangs about him then parents start to take their children out of school

4.Attempts To Repair The Disruption-

• the head teachers assisstant goes to find the head teachers dad, this is because she thinks that his father can help to clear the head teachers name.

5.A New State Of Equilibrium

• at the end of the episode, some equilibrium is back to balanced but some also isnt. the balanced equilibrium is that the head teachers name gets cleared but the ongoing story of imogen and connors mothers carries on as they still dislike each other.

Syd Field's 3 Act Structure

First Act:

• in the first act, the idea is to keep the audience watching and to keep them entertained. We are introduced to new temporary characters to add to the problems aswell as havung the usual characters present. The first act gives us an idea of the episodes story line.

Second Act

• The second act is where the main characters in this episode face their problems. For example Imogen being embarrassed by her mum and Connor having problems with his alcoholic mum. The head teacher also faces problems with the media and his dad. This keeps the audience entaertained.

Third Act - Resolution

• Most of the problems are still ongoing as it is a drama and needs to carry on to the next episode. However, the problems between the head teacher and the media seem to be resolved for now.

Levi Strauss' Binary Opposition Theory


Hero V Villain

• the hero in this episode is the head teacher mainly because he saved the school and himself. He saves the school because the parents stop taking their children out of school which also links to him saving himself and his job because he clears his name in the media.
• The villian is the man with the injury because he attempts to put the head teacher in prison by turning the media against him which in turn would make more parents take their children out of the school

Does good triumph over evil?

• In this episode good does triumph over evil as the head teacher clears his bad name in the media and the parents stop taking their children out of school. This saves his school and his job.

 

Propp's Character Type Theory

Hero: the head teacher because he saves the school

Villain: injured man because he tries to destroy the school and the head teachers reputation through the use of media

Donor: the head teachers assisstant brings the head teachers dad into it and he helps to clear his sons name

Dispatcher: none

False Hero: connor, because when the head teacher has to deal with the media, connor tries to burn the school down

Helper; head teachers dad, because he helps to clear his sons name

princess: the school, because it needs to be saved by the head teacher.

Representations Of The Characters

At the beginning of the program, the head teacher appears to be weak as he is being controlled by the media, he is also being controlled by his assisstant who is a woman, this is unusual because it is a subversion of the usual dominant male stereotype.

the media also plays an important part in the storyline because it is realistic and shows how it can make people believe whatever they say, because there was no solid evidence of the headteacher being violent towards the injured man but the public still believe that it happened so they start to take their children out of school.

Imogen and Connor break usual stereotypes as they are trying to look after their parents instead of their parents loooking after them whilst also dealing with their feelings for one another.