Narrative Analysis of a Pixar Film

Monsters Inc. Story Mountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Structural Moments in Monsters Inc.

  • ACT 1: A lot of time is taken introducing the world and the characters – we are shown the way the monsters’ society operates and we are given time to see the character dynamic.
  • ACT 2: A child enters the monster world, children are believed to be toxic to monsters. Main characters must hide her. Wacky hijinks ensue.
  • ACT 2: Child is stolen by the antagonist. Main characters must get her back.
  • ACT 2: They get her back, partially due to the power of friendship.
  • ACT 3: They return her to her home and the antagonist is trapped. Life goes back to normal.

Character Types

Protagonist: Sulley – He is the main hero of the story and the central figure who drives the story.
Antagonist: Randall – He is the main villain of the story, creating the main tension in the story and puts the narrative into motion.
Donor: Yeti – The Yeti helps Sulley and Mike return to the monster world through his knowledge.
Helper: Mike – Mike appears to be Sulley’s sidekick, helping him throughout the film. While they have similar amounts of screentime, Mike generally impedes progress to the overall objective rather than makes progress, like Sulley – despite being a helper, Mike does not actively drive most of the important parts of the plot, unlike Sulley.
Princess: Boo – She is the person Mike and Sulley are trying to rescue.
Dispatcher: Henry J. Waternoose III – As the pair’s boss, he essentially sets the story in motion.

Conflicts and Themes

Monsters Inc.’s biggest theme is the conflict between good and evil. This can be seen on the big scale, through the fact that the corporation is exposed as evil, and on the small scale, through there simply being “good” and “bad” monsters,

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