Narrative theories: Propp's

Propp's theory- Propp is a Russian theorist that in the twentieth century looked at many Russian folk tales and saw that each showed the same basic idea in terms of structure and character roles, Propp's research says there are 8 character functions that all characters link to and one character can form many role in the film these are:
1. The Villain - Struggles against the hero.
2. The Dispatcher - Character who informs the hero on lack and sends him on his quest.
3. The (magical) Helper - Helps hero during quest.
4. The Princess/Prize - Hero deserves to marry her, but cannot throughout the film because of the villain, often the quest is ended with the Hero and the Princess getting married. 
5. Her Father - Gives Hero task and identifies False Hero, Propp noted that the Princess and the Father cannot be clearly distinguished.
6. The Donor - Prepares the Hero
7. The Hero or Victim/ Seeker Hero - Reacts to the donor and gets married to the Princess
8. False Hero - In order to marry the Princess, he takes credit for the Heroes actions to impress her.
His theory wasn't meant to be linked to films but when seeing it and trying to link it to films rather than folk tales it shows that it links to most films now as well.
Propp also looked at the structure and found that there are 31 functions that can be put into 6 groups within the film which are preparation, complication, transference, struggle, return and recognition. The 31 functions are: 
1.A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced as a unique person within the tribe, whose needs may not be met by remaining) 
2.An interdiction (a command NOT to do something e.g.'don't go there', 'go to this place'), is addressed to the hero; 
3.The hero ignores the interdiction 
4.The villain appears and (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim encounters the villain); 
5.The villain gains information about the victim; 
6.The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim); 
7.The victim is fooled by the villain, unwittingly helps the enemy; 
8.Villain causes harm/injury to family/tribe member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc); 
9.Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment); 
10.Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action; 
11.Hero leaves home; 
12.Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor); 
13.Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against them); 
14.Hero acquires use of a magical agent (it's directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, is eaten/drunk, or offered by other characters); 
15.Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search; 
16.Hero and villain join in direct combat; 
17.Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf); 
18.Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished); 
19.Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed); 
20.Hero returns; 
21.Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero); 
22.Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life); 
23.Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country; 
24.False hero presents unfounded claims; 
25.Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks); 
26.Task is resolved; 
27.Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her); 
28.False hero or villain is exposed; 
29.Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc); 
30.Villain is punished; 
31.Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted)