Propp developed the Fairy Tale Theory, he examined hundreds of 1928 fairy tales in the generic form to discover the technique they use.
He identified 8 character roles and 31 functions which move the story along.
The 8 character roles are...
1. The Villain - the bad guy
2. The Hero - a seeker character motivated by an initial lack
3. The Donor - who provides an object with some magic property
4. The Helper - Who aids the hero
5. The Princess - A reward for the hero and object of the villains' scheme
6. Her Father - who validates the hero
7. The Dispatcher - who sends the hero on his way
8. The False Hero - the one who gets the credit at first but then gets found out
Propp's theory is a form of structuralism, which is a view that all media is inevitably in the form of certain fixed structures. Theses structures are often culturally derived and form expectations in the mind of an audience from within the same culture. Propp's theory can be applied to generic structures in Western Culture, such as popular genres. The genre structures form expectations in the mind of an audience that certain rules apply to the narrative. However, cultural change can force structures to change, for example a hero can now be a woman.
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