Todorov's theory of Equilibrium

Todorov suggested that conventional narratives are structured in five stages:-

1. A state of equilibrium (stability) at the start.
2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action.
3. A recognition that there has been a disruption.
4. An attempt to repair the disruption.
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium.

Todorov suggested that:- 

• Stories begin with an equilibrium of status quo where any potentially opposing forces are in balance.
• This is disrupted by some event, setting in chain a series of events.
• Problems are solved so that order can be restored to the world of the fiction.

A diagram illustrating the theory of equilibrium

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