Narrative of a Trailer

Todorov was a theorist who believed that stories start in a state of equilibrium, which is then disrupted, setting in a motion of a chain of events. The resolution of the story is the creation of a new or different equilibrium. He summed the journey up to five stages:

1. Equilibrium 
2. Disruption of equilibrium by a person or event
3. Realisation that disruption has occurred
4. Attempt to repair damage of disruption
5. Restoration of equilibrium (usually new equilibrium) 

The Narrative Structure of 'Vanity' 

1. Equilibrium - Zac and Flo are happy newly weds in a society where vanity is not a main focus -- people are more concerned with personality
2. Disruption - someone mentions to him that he's handsome, but this is something that forbidden to say - they tell him not to worry about it, but it plants the idea in his head. Zac then finds himself in the bathroom, thinking about the comment, he then notices his reflection and admires himself, but looking at yourself for a prolonged period of time is frowned upon. 
3. Realisation - Zac soon becomes obsessed and infatuated with himself -- even though he knows it is him in the reflection. His marriage started to slowly fall apart due to his obsession with his 'new lover'.
4. Attempt to repair - Zac is forced to go to the doctor by Florence, the doctor 'cures' him. His reflection no longer talks back and that 'relationship' he thought he had is no longer there. He breaks down because of this.
5. New equilibrium - Zac is incredibly unhappy, as is Florence -- she thought taking him to the doctor would make everything better, but it's only forced the two apart even more.