Propp's Theory

Propps theory explained:

Vladimir Propp was a Russian critic who developed Propps theory which explained that every story has to have the same character types to give it structure this was a belief of Propp that characters provide the structure for text.

These are the characters that Propps theory comments on:

The Hero – This is the character which is set on a quest to gain something

The Villain – An obstacle in the heroes way someone who deliberately blocks the heroes                     path

The Donor – An object that will help the hero is provided by the donor

The Dispatcher – A messenger this is the character who sends the hero on their mission

The False Hero – False claims are made by this character

The Helper – Helps the hero

The Princess – A reward for the hero

The Father – will reward the hero for their effort

This research was inspired by:

 (http://www.adamranson.plus.com/Propp.htm)

Propps theory is effective however it has flaws and is not a theory that can be relevant to every film, the theory was introduced fairytales were known by all as modern media did not exist because of this Propps theory fits almost every older folk tale but modern films drift slightly out of the norm. An example of a film which has the majority of the characters which Propps theory explores is Scream (DIR.Wes Craven).

The hero in scream if Sidney

The villain- There are two villains in scream Stu and Billy

The donor- Gail weathers gives Sidney the drive to combat her killers and defend her mother’s name.

 

The dispatcher- In scream the dispatcher is Sidney’s mother her death sends Sidney on a mission to uncover the real killer and to stop her torment.

The false hero- Billy is the false hero but also Cotton Weary as he is in jail for a murder he didn’t commit.

The helper- Randy is the helper he provides Sidney with guidance through describing the conventions of horror films.

Her father- Sidney’s dad

The princess- This is the a thought rather than a person e.g. justice or truth

Using the theory can help towards structuring my production in which, it will help

develop my characters and decide the roles they will play in the plot.