2. “characters have
a narrative
function, they
provide a
structure for the
text”
3. Vladimir Propp was born in 1895 in
Russia. He was a media theorist who
analysed over 100 folk tales and realised
that certain characters appear repeatedly
in all the tales.
His theory is useful because it avoids
treating characters as if they are
individuals and reminds us that they‟re
merely constructs. Some characters are
involved just to progress the narrative.
4. These recurring characters are ones
such as the:
-Hero (or heroine)
-Villain
-The gift giver
-The sender
-The false friend
-The helper
-The damsel in distress.
5. Star Wars VI: Return Of
The Jedi
• Hero – Luke Skywalker
• Damsel in Distress – Princess Lela
• The Helper – Han Solo
• The Villain – Darth Vader
• The Sender – Obi Wan
• The Gift Giver - Yoda
http://matttrailer.com/star_wars_episode_vi_retur
n_of_the_jedi_1983
6. Friday 13 th (2009)
In Friday 13th the clear Proppian
character type is the Villain who is
the murderer of the film. There are
also a set of victims who would
make up the Damsel In Distress
roles. This is different towards
other genres as there isn‟t a clear
hero or knight in shining armour
seen in the film, instead the villain
is seen as powerful and
unstoppable. This helps create fear
in the audience.
7. The characters which appear
most in film trailers no matter
what genre are the „heroes‟ and
the „villains‟. This is due to the
fact that it makes the film
involve some form of
competition which makes the
film more interesting for the
viewer to watch. It also follows
tradition from books and fairy-
tales. There is usually a damsel
in distress of some sort, but it
isn‟t a necessary component.
8. The Exorcist
Proppian character types within the
exorcist:
Emily rose-the damsel in distress
Her mother- the helper
Doctor- gift giver
