Actantial model

The actantial model is like a map that helps us understand stories like we're going on a treasure hunt. Imagine you're walking through a forest and you meet a bunch of different characters along the way, like animals and people. Each of these characters has a role to play in the story, like a hero or a villain.

The actantial model helps us understand what each of these characters is doing in the story by giving them "roles" or "jobs." There are six main roles in the actantial model: the subject (or main character), the object (the thing the subject wants or needs), the sender (who sends the subject on a mission), the helper (someone who helps the subject achieve their goal), the opponent (someone who tries to stop the subject), and the dispatcher (someone who tells the subject what to do).

For example, let's say you're reading a story about a little girl who wants to go to the store to buy some candy. In this story, the little girl is the subject, the candy is the object, her mom is the sender (because she tells the little girl to go to the store), her older brother is the helper (because he teaches her how to cross the street safely), a bully at the store is the opponent (because he tries to take the candy away from her), and the store owner is the dispatcher (because he tells the little girl where to find the candy).

By using the actantial model, we can see how each of these characters is working together to tell the story and help the little girl get her candy. It's like a treasure map that helps us understand all the different pieces of the story and how they fit together.