Propp's Theory Of Narrative

In the 1920's, Vladamir Propp (who was a Russian film critic) came up with a theory based on the narrative of stories. He focused his theory on fairytales and folk tales, however it can still be applied to many modern day films. He noticed that many folk tales were similar in a variety of ways, therefore he identified a theory about characters and actions as narrative functions. According to Propp, the films have a narrative function and provide a structure for the text.

Typical types of characters he found were used in films:
-The hero - A character that seeks something.
-The villain - Opposes or blocks the hero's quest.
-The donor - Provides an object with magical properties/that will help the hero.
-The dispatcher - Sends the hero on their quest via a message.
-False hero - Disrupts the hero's success by making false claims.
-The helper - Who aids the hero in some way.
-The princess - Acts as a reward for the hero and is the object of the villain's plot.
-Her father - Who rewards the hero for his efforts.

Propp's theory was that certain types of characters were/are used in every narrative structure.

Propp's theory demonstrated:

The villain - They struggle against the hero. They usually wear dark colours and are (usually) not ver attractive. An example of a villain is - The joker (The Dark Knight).

The dispatcher - They are a character who invites the hero to get rid of the villain. An example of this is - Nick Fury (The Avengers).

The helper - They help the hero fight evil. For example - Robin (The Dark Knight Rises).

The princess - Needs to be rescued from evil or the villain. An example is - Rachel Dawes (The Dark Knight).

The donor - They give the hero something to help them in the story e.g an object. An example is - Lucius Fox (The Dark Knight).

False hero - They pretend to help out the hero but they in fact betray them. An example of this is - Prince Charming (Shrek).

The father - They will reward the hero. An example is - The king (Shrek).

The hero - Is the most common type of character. They will eliminate the villain and win. An example of  a hero is - Spiderman.

Vladamir Propp suggested this theory:

STRUGGLE SCENE -

-There is a hero and villain and there is a struggle

-The hero is branded

-The villain is overcome

-The state of disorder is settled

RECOGNITION SCENE -

-The hero is recognised - An action film

-The false villain or villain is unmasked - Horror film

-False hero could be punished - Cops and robbers scene

-Hero attains a reward and lives happily ever after - Fairy tale