1. VLADIMIR PROPP (1895-1970)
Propp was a Bulgarian theorist. In his 1922 work The Morphology of the Folk Tale he
analysed something like 400 Russian folk tales. He found that across all of these
tales, despite apparent differences, characters and their actions can be categorized
into clearly defined roles and functions (8 character roles and 31 narrative functions)
which are summarized here:
The hero: seeks something, to fulfill a ‘lack’ of some kind
The villain: opposed the hero, tries to make the hero fail
The donor: aids the hero by providing an object with magical properties
The dispatcher: sends the hero on a quest of some kind
The false hero: pretends to be the hero
The helper: assists the hero in some way
The princess: doubles up as a reward for the hero and the object of the
villain’s plot
Her father: will reward the hero (often by giving the hero his daughter)
Game:
(which character fulfils this role and why?)
Hero
Villain
Donor
Dispatcher
False hero
Helper
Princess
Father