Propps Narrative

Theory
BY HANNAH LANSDOWN
Vladimir Propp
Propp was a Russian critic in the 1920s, he used to
analyse the narrative in fairy/folk tales.
He saw that the folk films were very similar in some ways
and from this developed a theory about the characters
and actions as narrative functions.
According to the theory all of the characters play a part
within the narrative and there is a structure for the
characters.
Typical Characters
The Hero- A character who seeks something
The villain- A character who opposes the hero
The donor- A character who helps the hero by providing
them with something
The dispatcher- A character who sends the hero on their
quest
The false hero- A character who falsely assumes the role
of the hero
The helper- A character who helps the hero
The princess- Acts as the reward for the hero
In a confrontation scene

Propp suggested this theory in a confrontation scene:

1) There is a struggle between the hero and the villain
2) The hero is branded and the villain is overcome
3) The state of disorder is settled
In a recognition scene
The hero is recognised- this is often done after the
audience sees who the villain is
The villain or the false hero is unveiled- this is usually at
the start of the film
The false hero may also be punished- this happens at the
end of the film
The hero claims the reward and there will be a happily
ever after- this happen at the end of the film
Theory applied to The Hunger
Games
The hero-the hero in this film is Katniss as she is fighting for her district
The villain is president Snow as he invented the games and allows people
to be killed without showing sympathy
The dispatcher is Cinna, he encourages Katniss to go into the games by
assuring her that she is strong enough
The donor is Haymitch, he gives Katniss a lot of advice throughout the
film so that she is able to survive the games
The helper-in many scenes Rue helps Katniss when she is put in danger by
the other contestants
The princess-the princess in this film could be Katniss sister, Prim, as
Katniss initially volunteers to take part in the games so Prim doesnt have
to do it. Therefore she wants to win so she is able to see her sister again
Theory applied to the thriller
genre
Thriller films usually contain the typical characters from Propps theory
but as its not a fantasy what each character sets out to do is different
than if it were a fairy-tale.
Most of these characters will appear in a thriller film but they dont
always have the same title. There will always be a hero and a villain and
someone/people that the hero is trying to save, this person would not be
labelled as a princess though. All of the other characters are likely to
appear in a thriller but these are the three main ones that we should
expect to see.
Also, as thrillers contain a large element of mystery not all of the
characters are always revealed to the audience so the recognition scene
may be different to what Propp proposed.