Soap Opera Genre – Propp’s Character Roles

Propp’s Narrative Functions

Name: Imani Ayimba-GoldingCandidate Number: 1012Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

OCR Media Studies – A2 Level

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAE0V4ExSWo• The portrayal of men and women in the trailer, as in other media products, is a subject of

research in gender studies and is discussed in the context of sexism in many soap operas. Women in particular are sometimes underrepresented as characters in mainstream shows, and their portrayals often reflect traditional gender roles, sexual objectification or negative stereotypes, such as that of the "damsel in distress". In this trailer the women are almost always shown next to a man or kissing a man. This highlights the fact that women may be reliant on a man, again touching on the sexist approach soap operas take.

• “Kim isn't a murderer” women are less likely to commit a murder than men.• Soap operas are known for their stereotypical portrayal of women. For instance, if a

working person is portrayed it is almost always a male image and those working women that are depicted are shown to be incompetent and inferior to male workers; men are doctors; women are nurses and secretaries; men work in corporations; women tend boutiques.

Propp’s Character Roles

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAE0V4ExSWo

• The role of the Female protagonist at the beginning that says “if your so sure than who is” would be an example of a ‘False Hero’ (Propp's character roles theory). The ‘False Hero’ will try to steal the ‘Hero's’ thunder, grabbing the credit. The False Hero is, a thief perhaps of the worst kind, who plays on people's good nature to boldly steal in broad daylight. This is evident as she is trying to cover up someone else's wrong doing and disregarding someone's comment.

• In the trailer she looks down on the other characters in disgust, whereby this non-verbal code connotes that she feels superior to the others.

Propp’s Character Roles

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPoBpEMY-kM• “One of those old women that stinks of cats”• In this trailer the ‘princess’ (Propp) could be Stacey. It is evident she likes a

man who has just asked anther woman to marry him. The ‘Princess’ may be wooed by many, in particular by the ‘False Hero’. When the audience see the ‘Princess’ being won by the ‘False Hero’ the audience feel frustration as they see her falling unwittingly.

• In the trailer both Stacey, and the other woman falling for thee false hero wear red. This could be an example of a ‘Villain’ (Propp's character roles theory). Red connotes danger and could suggest these two women may feud.

Propp’s Character Roles

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAE0V4ExSWo

Propp’s Narrative Functions

In this trailer, a ‘Difficult Task’ is evident which is when the Hero must prove himself. It can be an ordeal of choice, a riddle or a test of strength in the case of this trailer the ‘Hero’ (being the parents) are being tested emotionally as they have just caught their “children” engaging romantically. This is a test to see how long the parents will be able to deal with this upsetting and stressful situation.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPoBpEMY-kM

• In this trailer ‘Wedding’ (Propp's Narrative Functions theory) is present. This is when the hero marries and is rewarded or promoted by the family or community and typically ascends to a throne. This is first evident when the character asks the women in the hijab to marry him. Although not see as positive for a few of the other characters, the two that are now engaged show affection and signs of joy. This connotes that the couple has now become happily married and gained a sense of family and community.

Propp’s Narrative Functions