Narrative Theories

Propp
Propp came up with the theory that characters in a story take on single or multiple specific roles of narrative 'spheres of action' or functions. So in short, the character roles create the narrative. Propp came up with 7 character types usually found in a narrative (a character could adopt 1 or more of these roles); the Hero (restores narrative equilibrium by embarking on a quest), the Villain (creates the narrative destruction), the Donor (gives the Hero something to help store equlibrium), the Helper (aids the Hero), the Princess (most threatened by the villain, usually has to be saved), the Dispatcher (sends the Hero on their task) and the False Hero (appears to be good but turns out to be bad in the end).

Todorov
Todorov came up with 5 generic stages he thought would be found in a narrative, and tend to be found in most mainstream ones. These stages are as follows;
1. a state of equilibrium at the beginning
2. a disruption of this equilibrium by some action
3. a realisation that there has been a disruption
4. an attempt to repair this disruption
5. a restoration of the initial equilibrium

Barthes
Barthes came up with 5 codes which he thought were woven into any narrative. These 5 codes are as follows:Enigma Code - Something the audience does not know.
Action Code - Something the audience knows and don't need explaining. (E.g. Packing a suitcase in a hurry connotes running away)
Semic Code - Using hints (E.g. Mansion, Sports car, Butler, Posh classical music) to connote certain concepts such as wealth.
Symbolic Code - A structure which organizes meaning such as through the use of binary opposites.
Referential Code - Looks at the audiences wider cultural knowledge, morality and ideology.

Levi-Strauss
Levi-Strauss saw narrative structures in terms of binary oppositions; sets of opposite values which reveal the structure of media texts. For example, Good & Evil, Earth & Space, Old & Young, Dark & Light, etc. He was not interested in the order events were arranged. Themes contain a variety of binary oppositions, such as sci-fi films may contain Earth & Space as well as Good & Evil and Humans & Aliens, etc.