Theories -

Claude Levi-Strauss (1908 - 2009)
Binary Opposites, e.g.
Good / Evil
Black / White
Tall / Short
Old / Young
etc.


Vladmir Propp (1895 - 1970)
Character Roles, e.g. 
James Bond - Goldfinger

James Bond	Hero – character who seeks something
Goldfinger	Villain
Q	Donor – provides an object with some magic property
Felix Leiter	Helper – aids the hero
Pussy Galore	Princess – reward for the hero, often the object of the villain
	Princess’ father – rewards the hero
M	Dispatcher – sends hero on his way
	False hero – seems to be heroic, turns out evil, AKA red herring*

*Red herring: character or object introduced as seemingly important, but is then left behind/forgotten/never mentioned again, they in fact had/have no importance.

Not every character type is visible in every text.

Tzvetan Todorov (1939 - )

All stories begin with an equilibrium, this is disrupted, then restored.
A classic beginning, middle, end - narrative structure.

3 part narrative structure
1) Equilibrium

2) Disruption of equilibrium

3) Restoration of equilibrium or new equilibrium