Joseph Russo

PROPP’S CHARACTER THEORY IN “IT FOLLOWS”

VILLAIN – THE FOLLOWING PERSON

• In horror films, the villain disrupts the equilibrium and is one of the most important character types. Typically in the horror genre, the villain is a paranormal, mysterious character that tends to scare the audience.

• In “It Follows”, the character is very paranormal, as it can only be seen by certain people. The villain can represent many problems that people may face through sexual intercourse and is shown by the villain constantly following them round.

PRINCESS - JAY

• In a horror film, the princess needs help, protecting or saving. The princess in a horror normally turns into a hero at the end of the film, restoring the equilibrium. They are normally the main character and can either be male or female.

• In “It Follows”, Jay is the princess as it is mainly her who is getting tormented by the creature. It is up to her and her group of her friends to stop this from happening and in the end of the film they manage to stop it, although the closing scene shows a figure walking behind her.

DONOR - GREG • A donor is someone who gives the

hero help, advice or an object. In a horror film, they normally help the princess character rather than the hero because typically there is more likely to be a princess rather than a hero.

• In “It Follows”, Greg is the donor as he tries to help Jay by choosing to have the villain passed on to him rather than it being with her. The donor helps the narrative progress and are a very important character in horror films.