Detailed overview of Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp was a literary critic and a scholar who founded the idea that a certain type of character was to be used in every narrative structure. His theory has influenced many filmmakers to writing and producing successful narratives. Propp also suggested that all fairy tales follow a specific narrative structure.

Propp suggested that every narrative has eight different character types, these character types are:

1. The villain — fights the hero in some way.

2. The dispatcher — character who makes the villain’s evil known and sends the hero off.

3. The (magical) helper — helps the hero in the quest.

4. The princess or prize — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain. The heros journey is often ended when he marries the princess, thereby beating the villain and resulting in a “happily ever after” moment.

5. Her father — gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, and marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father couldn’t be clearly distinguished.

6. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.

7. The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.

8. False hero — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.

Equilibrium – This is the start of the film, where the plot of the film begins to develop giving the people a brief introduction of what and how the film will turn out.

Disequilibrium – This happens amid the mid-methods for most movies. An issue happens which then incorporates the issue to be resolved before the end of the film.

Resolution – This is the point at which the film characters discover an answer for the issue and resolve it only 10-25 minute before the end of the film. (sometimes more)

REFERENCE: http://www.slideshare.net/jordan_house/vladimir-propp-14561275