Todorov in Death Race

Todorov's Narrative Theory in Death Race

the majority of stories follow a specific narrative structure. In the 30s Todorov studied 100s of folk tales and found that they all followed a certain narrative structure which could be applied to many other stories. 

Todorov's theory goes like this:

1. The story starts and everything is in balance (a state of equilibrium)
2. Something happens to disrupt the equilibrium 
3. The disruption is identified 
4. An attempt is made to restore the equilibrium
5. A new equilibrium is formed

This narrative theory still applies to modern texts, for example this is how it applies to the 2008 film Death Race.

At the beginning of the film the protagonist Jason Statham is shown to have a wife, child and a fairly average working class life (this is the equilibrium). 

However one night he is knocked out and while he is unconscious he is framed for killing his wife. He then gets sent to prison and his daughter is taken into care. (This is definitely the disruption).

In prison he is forced to race in a series of races for a corrupt prison warden against his will, this is where he recognises the disruption as the man who framed him is in the prison. He decides that he has to escape from the prison to be with he daughter. 

The protagonist then breaks out of the prison during a race and his friends kill the prison warden. He is then reunited with he is daughter and lives with his girlfriend from prison. This creates a new equilibrium.