Propp Theory - Character Functions

In 1920 Vladimir Propp was a russian critic. Whilst the cinema was prdocuing Propp was very interested in all of the different types of film, he was specifically interested in the narrative of the films.

He noticed that the same genre of film had similar characters and actions, he identified this as narrative functions.

According to Vladimir Propp characters have a narrative function, this means they provide a structure for the text.

Typical Characters he found:

The Hero - A character that seeks something
The Villain - Opposes of actively blocks the heros quest
The Donor - Provides an object with magical properties
The Dispatcher - Who sends the hero on his/her quest via message
The False Hero - Dispruts the heros success by making false claims
The Helper - Aids the hero
The Princess - Acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villains plots