Prop character types (A2 media studies)
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Vladimir Propp was a Russian formalist scholar who studied folk tales in the 1920s. He identified that many folk tales shared similar narrative structures and characters fulfilling narrative functions that drive the plot. Propp's theory outlines character archetypes like the hero, villain, donor, and princess. His work influenced filmmaking and showed that fairy tales follow a specific narrative structure. Propp's theory can be applied to analyze the plot and characters of horror films like Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre in terms of the hero confronting the villain while receiving help from donors.
Prop character types (A2 media studies)
- 1. Vladimir Propp By Priscilla Amponsah
- 2. Who was Vladimir Propp? Was a Russian and Soviet formalist scholar During 1920, Propp was a Russian critic. Interested in the narrative of folk tales. Here he noticed that often many folk tales were similar in a variety areas. He identified a theory about characters and actins as narrative functions According to his theory, characters have a narrative function, whereby it provides a structure for the plot His theories has influenced many film markers to writing and producing successful narratives He highlights that all fairy tales follow a specific narrative structure. Vladimir Propp
- 3. Theory in context The hero: seeks something The villain: opposes the hero The donor: helps the hero by proving a magic object The dispatcher: sends the hero on his way The false hero: falsely assuming the role of hero The helper: gives support to the hero The princess: the reward for the hero but also needs to be protected from the villain The father: protects the princess
- 4. Applying Propp to Halloween(1978) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SFmmROB Uto
- 5. Casts of Halloween Dr Sam Loomis Laurie Strode (the mother) Judith Myers (Michael's sister) Michael Myers
- 6. Exploring theory... Hero: the doctor who tries to save Michael from killing his sister, as well as other victims. In a sense the hero can also be argued as being the sister, as she refuses to become one of the many victims of Michael, who triumph in the end. Villain: Michael due to his desire and pleasure in making people suffer killing The donor: the doctor, who at the end make himself into a sacrifice in order for Michael to kill him instead of the sister? The dispatcher: the doctors colleges who insists that he goes and stop Michael from people becoming more victimised. The false hero: the mother due to the fact that she believes she’s helping him by putting him in a hospital, but due to her absences, which in affect made him worse thus his killing rampage. The helper: the cleaner who in his best interests tries to advice Michael to receive the help he’s been presented. The princess: no clear princess as he wants to kill everyone regardless. However one could argue that this character could reflect the sister, as she needs saving from her own brother (villain) The father: again not clear, however it can be suggested that the doctor is the father as he wants to save the sister.
- 7. Applying Propp’s theory (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2013) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKqFfkassgo
- 8. Plot • A vigilante mob of enraged locals surrounded the Sawyer house, burning it to the ground and killing every last member of the family. They did this because Leatherface massacred a lot of innocent people. • Decades later a young woman named Heather learns that she has inherited a Texas estate from her grandmother. • She decides to bring her friends along on the road trip to investigate her inheritance. On arrival she uncovers she has inherited a mansion but is yet to uncover the terrors that lurk in the basement below it.
- 10. Propp’s Character Theory • The hero: Heather who basically wants to investigate her inheritance (the Texas estate) • The villain: Leatherface • The donor: The letter which says to protect Heather who is his cousin. • The dispatcher: The past memory of the Grandma • The false hero: Sheriff Hooper who tries to hide the truth about Leatherface’s existence and tries keep it away from the town. • The helper: Ryan (Heather’s boyfriend for a while) later cheats on her. • The princess: The knowledge that he is her cousin is the reward even though he is the villain, because she stays and supports him at the end. • Her father: Leatherface who see’s Heather’s scars and realises that its his cousin so he doesn't end up killing her.