Theory

A Russian soviet scholar named Vladimir Propp analyzed the plot components of Russian folk tales. His plan was to indentify their basic narrative elements. In

total he looked at 100 folk tales and discovered that there were only 8 character types. These were:

The VillainThe Helper

The Princess or prizeHer FatherThe DonorThe Hero

The False HeroThe Dispatcher

Below I will discuss how these character types and how they are involved in my book and other books, films and television programmes.

The HeroThe hero in books and films is usually the main character. The story is often told from their point of view or told in 3rd person following them on their quests and journeys. Heroes are often easily distinguishable and can be indentified early in the book or film. Good examples of movie heroes are Superman in the superman films and Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List. In my book, the hero would be the

young girl as by the end of the tale, they audience is wanting her to succeed.

The VillainMost books or films you think of include a villain. Whether it’s Darth Vader in

Starwars or Alex Delarge in Clockwork Orange. The villain is usually the enemy of the hero and is working against the hero. In my book, the villain is Spider. He

is shown to be untrustworthy and cunning with his plans. By the end of the book, the audience is rooting for the young girl as spider has deceived her.

The HelperThe helpers are also seen as the hero’s sidekick. They assist the hero on their

quests and challenges. These helper’s can range anywhere from humans to animals. Often in films and books, the helper brings hints of comedy to the audience. Famous examples of these helper’s would be Donkey in Shrek,

Chewbacca in Starwars and Gromit in Wallace and GromitThe Princess or prize

In different media contexts, the princess can show in one of two different ways. She can be either a person or object that the hero is wanting. The villain of the story may have taken her or the object away from the hero. The princess may

also be shown as a reward that the hero will receive after completing a mission or quest.

Her FatherThe princess’s father often gives the hero his quest. The father may appear to be not supportive of the hero as they are both battling for the princess’s affection.

The DonorThe donor gives the hero a gift, whether it is an object, piece of advice or a clue. This object then helps the hero to complete their quest. Another famous movie

example of this would be Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings gives Frodo a magical sword.

The False HeroThe false hero is a figure that may act courageous and brave throughout the

story and may try stealing the hero’s credit. They are often also battling for the princess or prize. A famous appropriate example would be Prince Charming in

the Shrek Films.The Dispatcher

The dispatcher role can be combined with any of the above roles in stories. They are the person who sends the hero on their quest. They are often a mother or

father figure.