Todorov: Intellectual Background

Todorov and Narratology

In this course, Dr Karine Zbinden explores Todorov’s work on narratology. In the first module, we explore the academic context for Todorov’s ideas, before in the second module moving on to consider some key additional context for Todorov’s work on narrative, including the works of the Russian Formalists. In the third module, we move on to outline Todorov’s stages of narrative (from a state of equilibrium, to a disruption, to a new equilibrium) and the role of transformation in his work. In the fourth module, we explore Todorov’s conception of “Plot v. Story” and the role of character point-of-view, before moving on in the fifth module to consider how Todorov’s work relates to the ideas of two other thinkers: Barthes and Levi-Strauss. Then, in the sixth and final module, we explore some of the strengths and weaknesses of Todorov’s narratology.

Todorov: Intellectual Background

In this module, we explore the academic context for Todorov’s ideas, focusing in particular on: (i) his youth in Bulgaria under the control of the USSR; (ii) his life in France studying under Roland Barthes; (iii) how Todorov became interested in narrative and form; (iv) how Todorov sought to break with the approaches to literary analysis that were dominant during his early life.