Wasp

Narrative theory- Wasp

In Wasp, the narrative theory that fits in with the short film the most is the 'Three-act structure'. The first act consists of an exposition, which is used to establish the main characters, their relationships and the world in which the film is set. In the case of Wasp, the film begins in media res where we get introduced to Zoe and her children as she is having a fight with another woman. This shows the audience the kind of place she lives in and how her children are brought up in a low-income area in London. Later in the act, the protagonist is presented with an inciting incident, which is a problem that disrupts the equilibrium and leads into the second act, signaling the end of the first. In Wasp, this is when Zoe meets Dave and he invites her out for a drink, the problem she faces is that there would be no one to look after her children and therefore she will have to either decline his offer or take the children out with her. 

The second act in the theory is referred to as "rising action", which typically depicts the protagonist's attempts to solve the problem initiated by the first turning point, which ends in them worsening the situation. The first problem Zoe occurs other than having to take her children to the pub is when she doesn't have enough money to pay for the drinks she wants and therefore has to opt for a cheaper drink in order to give her children crisps and coke. The second problem she faces is her oldest child Kelly keeps getting her attention to try and solve problems they are facing, by doing so she risks the chance of Dave finding out about the children she has. Another problem that arises is later in the night more drunk people are around and can pose a threat to the children as they are in a vulnerable position with no adult supervision. This is emphasized when the group of men walk past the children and the audience is lead to believe that they are a potential danger to the children as they are a lot bigger and stronger than the children, however this is worry is quickly diminished as they only hold a place in the film to drop their food, which the children later eat.  The last problem to occur in this act is when the wasp flies in Kai's mouth and the children have to alert Zoe in order to help them get it out, the scene is very emotional as Zoe gets frustrated at Kelly and shouts at her which results in them all crying and hugging each other. This incident makes Dave aware of the situation she is going through and that these are her children and no one else, which leads into the final act.

The third act features the resolution of the story and its subplots. The climax is the scene or sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to their most intense point and the dramatic question answered, leaving the protagonist and the other characters in a resolved state. In the case of Wasp, the resolution is when the children are all in Dave's car eating chips and he suggests to Zoe that they take the children home and they have a chat.  The ending is ambiguous as we are unsure on whether Dave's intention is good and he wants to do right by the family or he is annoyed at Zoe for lying to him and he wants to confront her about it. Regardless of that Wasp is a very uncomfortable, British- social realist film that allows the audience to get a sense of what life is like for people in poorer areas at this time.