2. Vladimir Propp was a literary scholar and
critic.
He created the idea that in a story, a specific
kind of character was used in every narrative
structure. He also said that all fairy tales also
follow a specific narrative structure.
His theory has inspired many film makers to
make and produce successful narratives.
3. Propp suggested that every narrative should have eight different
character types. These characters are:
The Hero – Reacts to the donor and marries the princess.
The Donor – Prepares the hero or gives a game changing object.
False Hero – Tries to marry the princess/ takes credit for the Hero’s actions.
The Villain – Tries to fight the hero in some way
The Dispatcher – A character who makes the villain’s evil known and sends the hero off
The Helper – Tries to help the hero throughout the story
The Prize – Something or someone that the hero is striving for throughout the story. Usually
the hero is unable to achieve the “Prize”, usually because of the villain. In the end the Hero
will achieve the prize by beating the villain.
The Father – the person who gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, and helps the
hero marry the princess or achieve the prize. Usually the father and the princess cannot clearly
be distinguished.
4. The Hero – The graduated police officer
The Villain – Leader of the local gang; Tommy D
The Doner – The man who provides the hero with his first gun.
The Dispatcher – The boss of the hero, the police chief. He sends
the hero on a mission to take down the Villain.
The False Hero – The Chief’s Assistant, who is actually a dirty cop.
The Helper – The Hero’s partner. He is an old cop that is in his last
year before retiring.
