For this week’s individual task, I’ve picked to analyse a book, a movie and a commercial.
Coraline (2002) – a book written by Neil Gaiman 9 (2009) – a movie directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton Pepsi Commercial starring David Beckham
Coraline (2002) – a book written by Neil Gaiman Coraline is the story of a little girl who discovers a secret door in her house which led her to a mirror world of hers, where her parents were never busy, but loved spending time with her. The equilibrium is the beginning of the story, when everyone lives their lives normally, and Coraline gets the best of both worlds – she loves her real parents, but enjoys the big meals her “other mother” prepares and likes spending time with her “other father”. The disruption happens when her “other parents” try to make her stay in their world and want to sew buttons in the place of her eyes. When Coraline refuses, they kidnap their real parents and lock them in a snow globe. The recognition takes place when Coraline is left home alone and later on she discovers her parents have been kidnapped by her “other mother” in her attempt to keep Coraline as her daughter. The attempt is when Coraline sets on a quest to save her parents and defeat her “other mother”, which then leads to the enhanced equilibrium, which is the family is back together, the parents make more time for their daughter and Coraline tries to look more on the bright side and not blame her parents so much for everything.
In Coraline, we can recognize a few of the character functions Propp talks about. Firstly, Coraline is the hero, seeking for adventures to compensate for the lack of attention she gets from her parents. Then, there is the villain, which is her “other mother”, trying to prevent her from going back to her world. There is a donor – Coraline’s neightbours, who read her fortune on her tea leaves, recognize she’s in danger and give her a stone for protection (which stone later helps her find the souls of other kidnapped children and eventually escape). The helper is the cat from Coraline’s world, which acts as a mentor and guide throughout the girl’s journey. The princess (or, more adequately, the reward) is Coraline’s real parents, which she sets on a quest to rescue and they are in the scheme of the evil “other mother”. I suppose Mr.Bobo and his mice might be considered the dispatcher, given that they send Coraline on her task to find her parents. A father and a false hero are missing from the characters in the book.
When it comes to the 31 narrative units, introduced by Propp, the story actually covers about 21 of them; although there is one place in the book where the units are not entirely in the same order (the acquisition of the magical object happens before the quest, not during). Briefly, the units correspond to the following events in the story:
1. A member of the family leaves home (Coraline finds the door to the other world) 2. An interdiction is addressed to the hero (Mr.Bobo’s mice tell her “She’s not to go through the door”) 3. The interdiction is violated (she, of course, went) 4. The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (Coraline has many questions for the “other mother”) 5. The villain gains information about the victim (through their long conversations) 6. The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim’s belongings (the “other mother” tries to tempt Coraline to stay in her world by pretending to be a very warm mother) 7. Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy (Coraline continues to go to the “other world”, because she enjoys the attention she gets from the “other mother”) 8. Villain causes harm/injury to family member (the “other mother” kidnaps Coraline’s real parents) 9. Misfortune or lack is made known (Coraline discovers her parents and missing and needs to find a way to save them) 10. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action (Coraline decides to go back to the “other world” and defeat the “other mother”) 11. Hero leaves home (she goes back)
The next 3 units (Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked, etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper; Hero reacts to actions of future donor and Hero acquires use of a magical agent) are not entirely the same. Coraline is indeed tested (she bets the “other mother” she can find the lost souls of the children and her parents in exchange for their freedom and if she fails, she is to stay and have buttons instead of eyes), but the magical object has been given to her by the donor before she goes back on the quest.
12. Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an objects of the search (the “other mother” gives Coraline clues that lead her to figuring out where her parents are trapped) 13. Hero and villain join in direct combat (Coraline tricks the “other mother” to open the door and escapes back to her world, trapping and severing the “other mother’s” hand on the other side of the tunnel) 14. Hero is branded (I’m not sure this unit can be found in the story) 15. Villain is defeated (the “other mother” is trapped in the “other world”) 16. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (Coraline’s parents are saved) 17. Hero returns (Coraline is back in her world) 18. Hero is pursued (the “other mother’s” hand tries to steal the key and unlock the door, letting the “other mother” into the real world) 19. Hero is rescued from pursuit (Coraline tricks the hand to the old well and throws it and the key inside, trapping the “other mother” and the mirror world forever where they are) The next 8 units are missing from the story (a false hero is not introduced and there is no need for Coraline to prove herself the real hero), which ends with the 31st – Hero is rewarded – Coraline’s parents spend much more time with her (although they don’t seem to remember their journey and kidnapping)
In terms of causality, time and space, the cause of Coraline finding the “other world” in the first place is the lack of attention she gets from her real parents and the reason she has to rescue her parents is her refusal to remain in the mirror world and have buttons instead of eyes. Time is very clearly stated in the book, as the author talks about “one morning” or “the next evening” or “the next day” and we can get a sense of what is the time something is happening. The same with space – the author specifies where Coraline is – whether in her bedroom, in the garden, in Mr.Bobo’s apartment or the apartment of her other neighbours, in the mirror world (where it’s specified – in the “other bedroom”, in the “other Mr.Bobo’s” apartment and so on).
Can you isolate other character functions and/or narrative stages in your media objects that Todorov and Propp did not isolate?
I can’t really find any other character functions in the story, although there might be another narrative stage between the attempt and the enhanced equilibrium. After Coraline traps the “other mother” in the mirror world and severs her hand, we might recognize something of a “false equilibrium”, because the story seems to be in its happy ending. However, the hand tries to steal the key and unlock the door again, which could be defined as another disruption, which leads to another attempt and, finally, the enhanced equilibrium. I suppose, though, that because of the nature of the book (it is often mistaken for a children’s book, even though it’s rather a fantasy/horror version of Alice in Wonderland and it’s not really for kids) – after all it is kind of a tale and that’s why it contains most of the character functions and it follows most of Propp’s units in developing the story.
9 (2009) – a film directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton
9 tells the story of nine rag-dolls in a post-apocalyptic world where all humanity is destroyed by the machines a scientist created with his brain, because he didn’t give it a piece of his soul. The rag-dolls have been created by the scientist, who gave them his soul, in order to defeat the machines and save the world.
The equilibrium is the beginning, where all the dolls live undisturbed in their hiding place, only troubled by “the beast” – which is a cat-like metal machine. The disruption happens after “the beast” kidnaps one of the dolls – 2, and 5, 7 and 9 go to save it. In the process 9 accidentally awakes the “B.R.A.I.N” (Binary Reactive Artificially Intelligent Neurocircuit), which is the main machine, able to create other machines, which turned against humans. The recognition is when, upon their return to the sanctuary, 5, 7 and 9 tell the others what had happened (the machine killed 2 by taking its soul). The attempt takes place when 9 goes back to “the source” to find out what the machine was and what the purpose of the creation of the rag-dolls was, in order to find a way to destroy the machine and free the souls of the dolls that have already been killed (2, 5, 6 and 8). The enhanced equilibrium is the end, after the defeat of the machine, the souls of all five dolls are set free (1 sacrificed itself to defeat the machine) and they fly away, leaving 3, 4, 7 and 9 (7 and 9 are, btw, female and male, holding hands) with the last line "This is our world now, it's what we make of it" and the implication that the souls of the other dolls have reincarnated as bacteria, which will soon evolve into multi cellular organism and, again, populate the Earth.
The hero is present – it is 9. The villain is obviously the machine. The donor is, in fact, the scientist, who has left a movie with instructions how to defeat the machine with a special talisman. The helpers are all the other dolls helping 9 throughout the movie. The princess is again rather a reward, than an actual princess, and it is the human soul, which 9 sets out to free and the machine tries to steal. The other three characters are missing from the story (father, dispatcher and false hero).
Most of the units are present in the story and they are in the same order. For instance, 1 tells 9 not to go on his quest (2) and he, of course, went (3); the machine gathers information about the dolls by studying one of them (5) and then uses it to lure the others (6). The machine kills 9’s friends (8); 9 sets on his journey to free their souls and defeat the machine (10 and 11). 9 acquires the magical talisman (13) and battles the machine (15); the machine is destroyed and the souls are freed (17 and 18); 7 and 9 intimately hold hands (31).
As to causality, time and space – it is clear that the events take place in a post-apocalyptic world, which is narrated in the beginning (the story about man inventing machine and machine turning against man). The space is an abandoned factory/an old library/a scientist’s study – all places are clearly defined. The cause for 9’s quest is the awakening of the machine, which then steals the souls of all the other dolls, which leads 9 to set out to save them and defeat the monster. Again, at one point in this story, I suppose there is a “false equilibrium”, when the dolls cause an explosion in the factory and assume the machine has been destroyed and they dance happily under the sounds of “Under the rainbow”, whilst the machine is actually approaching them. That leads to another disruption and attempt, with eventually the machine being destroyed. I can’t define any other characters in the story, besides the ones outlined by Propp.
Pepsi Commercial
The story of the commercial: a boy stays in a tunnel under the stadium where Manchester United and Juventus are playing and he’s sipping Pepsi. David Beckham enters and asks him for a sip, the boy asks for Beckham’s shirt and uses it to wipe his can. He then turns to leave and his shirt reads “Juventus”.
The equilibrium is the part where the boy is standing undisturbed and sipping Pepsi. The disruption is Beckham asking him for a sip. The recognition I believe happens during the attempt, when the boy wipes his can with David’s shirt. And the enhanced equilibrium is when the boy walks away with a smile on his face.
The hero could be assigned to the boy, whereas Beckham would be the villain. The princess, or in that case again the reward, would be the can of Pepsi. There is no donor, helper, father, dispatcher or false hero.
I guess it is possible to find some narrative units in the story, although I found that quite hard to do. For instance, I guess number 6 (the villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim’s belongings) could be assigned to Beckham asking for a sip; 7 (victim unwittingly helping the enemy) could be presumed to be the boy giving his can to Beckham; 10 (seeker decides upon counter-action) is the boy asking for David’s shirt; 17 (villain is defeated) is the boy wiping his can with David’s shirt and giving it back; 18 (initial misfortune is resolved) and 31 (the hero is rewarded) – the boy has his Pepsi for himself again.
When it comes to causality, time and space, I guess it’s only time that is not too clearly specified, although we can see it’s during the day and during a Manchester-Juventus football game. The space is obviously on the stadium and the cause for the boy asking for Beckham’s shirt and wiping his can with it is his affiliation to Juventus.
See if you can find a media object that does not conform to Todorov’s linear narrative structure and/or does not contain Propp’s narrative functions.
Sony Bravia Commercial
Honda Commercial
Touch Swatch Commercial
It was difficult for me to find a movie or a book, that doesn’t conform to those two models. Even though there are plenty of movies, where the plot unravels in a different way and the film has a different structure. Take Memento, for instance – the movie does start with the main character looking for the killer of his wife and the cause is revealed to us later, but the story itself doesn’t start with the attempt, because if we think about it, there was an actual equilibrium and disruption, it’s just in the plot of the movie structure they are shown in a different order.
If so, is that related to their form (for example, that it is a web-based, more interactive media object)? I guess it’s easier to find a commercial, that doesn’t really tell a story and thus it is difficult to assign any narrative units or character functions to it. Because of its form and the short period of time it takes place in, for an advert is not necessary to tell a specific story, as long as it’s related to the advertised object itself. Unlike short films – even though they take place in a very short period of time, there needs to be a certain story or at least the implication of a story taking place and there can be found certain characters and narrative units.
In what way is it different and why? Those three commercials that I’ve picked seem to rely much more on the influence of images, music and impression, rather than telling a story (like, for instance, an advert for a washing powder might do). I suppose it’s because sometimes the absence of an actual story being told might be as influential as the presence of one or even more. For instance, the Sony Bravia commercial has been one of my favourites ever, an advert that has left the biggest impression on me without any storyline or characters being introduced.
What are the possible effects on the audience’s reading of the object: does it make the meaning clear? A possible risk with that kind of objects and the lack of a story being told is that sometimes it isn’t really clear what the advertised product is. For instance, if there was no Swatch shown at the end of the Touch Swatch commercial, I don’t suppose many people (if any) would guess it’s an advert for a watch. Again with the TV – if there is no Bravia television shown, it doesn’t really have any meaning. And with some commercials, even though the product is shown at the end, it doesn’t really connect with the advert itself and the meaning actually might elude the audience.
