Todorov's Narrative Theory

*Spoiler Alert!

Todorov's Narrative Theory

Applied To Bioshock Infinite

Todorov's theory is as follows. First there is equilibrium, then a disruption of this equilibrium. There is then a recognition of this disruption and an attempt to repair the damage, which leads to a new equilibrium. This narrative theory is circular, and the new equilibrium can easily become disrupted, starting it all over again. 

Aside from the intricate details that have made this game very difficult for people to understand at the end, the base story-line can be explained using Todorov's theory. In the game, you play as Booker Dewitt (the protagonist of the story), who we don't hear much about prior to the story, so we don't know what his beginning equilibrium is, i'm guessing a happy family with his daughter. But he racks up a debt with a mystery... man?, which is the disruption. He then gets told that if he finds the character Elizabeth and takes her to New York, then his debt will be erased. Or so he thinks. So this is where the story got a bit strange, because the bad guy that has her happens to be Booker from an alternate universe... Told you it gets strange, but still amazing :) So even still, this is then the recognition of the disruption, and the begging of his attempt to stop the disruption of his equilibrium. Booker finds out that this is much bigger than just a debt that needs to be settled, and understands that the bad guy needs Elizabeth to use her as a weapon to destroy the world. The end result of this battle leads you to understand that you are both the good and guy, which one depending on whether you chose to be baptized or not, and multi-dimensional being Elizabeth (who also happens to be your daughter), takes you back in time to when the alternate and evil Booker was created, and drowns you, thus defeating the bad guy and restoring equilibrium, maybe not for Booker who got drowned, but definitely for the world that was in peril. 

So the story does end in equilibrium, just not for our protagonist.

p.s. please don't call me out, its been a while :)