Propp was a literary critic and schloar that founded the idea that particular character types were found within every narrative structure. Propp's theory has influenced many filmmakers across the world to writing and producing a successful narrative within their films.
What is his theory?
Propp suggested that every narrative has 8 different types of characters, which include...
The villian - creates a conflict between themselves and the hero.
The hero/victim - their aim is to restore normality or equilibrium. They do this by defeating the villian and end up winning some kind of prize towards the end.Dispatcher - the person that sends the hero on a journey to restore equilibrium. They also make the villian's presence known throughout the film.
Father Figure - They are the ones who usually sends the hero on their quest. Propp noted that functionally, this character and the heroine/prize cannot be clearly distinguished.
Donor - This character gives the hero something to help them along their journey. This could be a piece of advice, a skill or an object such as a weapon.
Helper - The helper assists the hero in restoring back to normality. They may be seen as a sidekick with the hero throughout or they could be someone they meet along the way.
Heroine/Prize - This is usually a passive and vulnerable character throughout, they are also threatened by the villian and need rescuing by the hero. Also, there could be a reward towards the end if the hero completes their jounrey and restores everything back to normal.
False Hero - This character is the one who is portrayed as being on the hero's side but turns out to be against them towards the end.
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