Media Studies - Propp's Character Theory - Simple Guide For Students & Teachers

Summary

This guide introduces Vladimir Propp's character theory, which identifies recurring character types in narratives. Propp's theory, though old and not originally for film or TV, can be applied to modern media. Key character roles include the hero, villain, helper, dispatcher, donor, and false hero. The guide advises students to analyze texts for these character types, using examples from GCC and A-Level exams. It highlights recognizing characters like the hero in a Quality Street advert and considering unconventional representations, such as in 'Kiss of the Vampire'.

Takeaways

• 📚 Vladimir Propp's theory can be applied to both GCSE and A-Level Media Studies.
• 👴 Propp's theory originated a long time ago and was not specifically for films or TV but for narratives in general.
• 🧐 Propp identified recurring character types in most narratives, which can be applied to modern media.
• 🦸‍♂️ The 'Hero' is a common character type in stories, often portrayed as central and powerful.
• 🦹‍♂️ The 'Villain' is another typical character that opposes the hero.
• 🏰 The 'Damsel in Distress' is a character that often needs saving by the hero.
• 🤹‍♂️ The 'Helper' or 'Sidekick' assists the hero on their journey.
• 📜 The 'Dispatcher' is the character who sends the hero on their quest.
• 🎁 'Donors' are characters who provide the hero with gifts or items to aid their quest.
• 🤔 The 'False Hero' is a character who attempts to be the hero but is not genuinely good.
• 🔍 In exams, students should identify characters from texts that fit Propp's character types.
• 🍫 In the Quality Street advert example, the man is portrayed as a hero with women looking up to him.
• 👸 The women in the advert are represented as 'princess' characters, potential prizes for the hero.
• 🧛‍♀️ In 'Kiss of the Vampire', it's important to identify the hero and any unconventional representations of character types.
• 📚 Understanding Propp's character types is crucial for analyzing narratives in set texts.

Q & A

Who is Vladimir Propp and what is his contribution to Media Studies?

Vladimir Propp is a theorist from a long time ago who created a theory about characters that might appear in typical narratives. His theory can be applied to Media Studies, particularly in analyzing characters in stories and narratives, including modern media products like films and TV programs.

What is the significance of Propp's theory in analyzing narratives?

Propp's theory is significant because it identifies certain character types that frequently appear in most narratives. Understanding these character types can help in analyzing and interpreting the roles and functions of characters in various stories.

According to Propp, what are the typical character types that appear in narratives?

Propp identifies several character types including the hero, villain, damsel in distress, helper (sidekick), dispatcher (the one who sends the hero on their quest), donor (gives something to the hero), and the false hero.

How can Propp's theory be applied to modern media products like films and TV programs?

Propp's theory can be applied to modern media by examining the characters in films and TV programs to see if they fit into any of the character types he described. This can help in understanding the structure and dynamics of the narrative.

What is the role of the 'dispatcher' in Propp's character types?

The dispatcher is the character who sends the hero on their quest. They are instrumental in initiating the narrative's main action by giving the hero a purpose or mission.

What is the role of the 'donor' in Propp's character types?

The donor is a character who provides something to the hero that aids them in their quest. This could be an item, information, or some form of assistance that is crucial for the hero's journey.

What is the 'false hero' character type in Propp's theory?

The 'false hero' is a character who attempts to take on the role of the hero but is not genuinely good or capable. They often create conflict or misunderstanding in the narrative.

How can students use Propp's theory in an exam situation?

Students can use Propp's theory in exams by analyzing the characters in the given text and identifying which, if any, fit into Propp's character types. This helps in understanding the narrative structure and the roles of the characters.

Can you provide an example of how Propp's theory is applied to an advertisement?

In the Quality Street advert example, the man is represented as a hero with women surrounding him, looking up at him. The women are represented as princess characters, fitting the damsel in distress type, which the hero is trying to win over.

How might Propp's theory be applied to the film 'Kiss of the Vampire'?

In 'Kiss of the Vampire', one could analyze the characters to determine who fits the hero role and who might be the damsel in distress. The film poster might suggest certain characters, but the actual narrative may present them in unconventional ways, challenging Propp's character types.

What is the importance of understanding Propp's character types when analyzing set texts?

Understanding Propp's character types is important for analyzing set texts because it provides a framework for discussing the characters' roles and their contributions to the narrative. It can reveal traditional or subverted narrative structures.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Vladimir Propp's Character Theory

This paragraph introduces the concept of character theory by Vladimir Propp, a theorist whose work is relevant to both GCSE and A-Level Media Studies. The speaker explains that Propp's theory, though quite old and not specifically designed for modern media like films or TV, can be applied to narratives in general. The theory posits that there are certain character types that frequently appear in narratives, such as the hero, villain, damsel in distress, sidekick (referred to as the 'helper' by Propp), dispatcher (the one who sends the hero on their quest), and the donor (who provides the hero with something to aid their journey). Additionally, the concept of a 'false hero' is mentioned. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of recognizing these character types when analyzing texts in an exam setting, using examples from a Quality Street advertisement and the film 'Kiss of the Vampire' to illustrate how characters can be represented in unconventional ways according to Propp's theory.

Keywords

💡Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp is a theorist known for his work in the field of narrative structure, particularly in the context of folklore and fairy tales. His theories, although developed in the early 20th century, are still relevant and can be applied to modern media studies. In the video, Propp's name is central as the guide is based on his theory of character functions in narratives.

💡Character Types

Character types refer to the recurring roles that characters play in stories. Propp identified a set of character types that frequently appear across different narratives. In the video, the guide explains these types, such as the hero, villain, and helper, as a way to analyze characters in various texts.

💡Narratives

Narratives are stories or accounts of events and experiences. They can be found in literature, film, and other forms of media. The video discusses how Propp's theory can be applied to narratives in general, not just limited to a specific medium.

💡Dispatcher

In Propp's theory, the dispatcher is a character type who sends the hero on their journey or quest. This character plays a crucial role in initiating the plot. The video uses this term to describe how characters in media might be depicted fulfilling this function.

💡Donor

A donor, according to Propp, is a character who provides the hero with something necessary for their quest. This could be an item, information, or assistance. The video script mentions donors as one of the character types that can be identified in narratives.

💡False Hero

The false hero is a character type that mimics the role of the true hero but is not genuinely heroic. This concept is used to discuss characters who may appear to be the protagonist but do not embody the heroic qualities expected. The video guide uses this term to illustrate the complexity of character roles.

💡Helper

The helper is a character type that assists the hero in their journey, often providing support or aid. In the context of the video, the helper is one of the key character types that students are encouraged to identify when analyzing narratives.

💡Damsel in Distress

A damsel in distress is a character type, usually a female, who is in a perilous situation and requires rescue by a hero. The video mentions this character type as a common figure in traditional narratives and discusses its representation in media.

💡Exam Situation

The term 'exam situation' refers to the context in which students might apply Propp's theory, such as in an academic examination or essay. The video guide advises students on how to use the theory to analyze characters in the texts they are studying.

💡Quality Street

Quality Street is a brand of chocolates, and in the video, it is used as an example of how characters in an advertisement can be analyzed using Propp's theory. The man in the advert is described as being represented as a hero, with the women around him as princess characters.

💡Kiss of the Vampire

Kiss of the Vampire is a film title mentioned in the video as a potential set text for A-Level studies. The guide encourages students to consider the characters in the film through the lens of Propp's character types, such as identifying the hero and the damsel in distress.

Highlights

Introduction to Vladimir Propp's character theory

Propp's theory is applicable to both GCC and A-Level Media Studies

Theory's simplicity and its relevance to modern media products

Propp's theory originated from analyzing narratives, not specifically films or TV

Existence of recurring character types in narratives

Identification of the 'hero' and 'villain' as common character types

The 'damsel in distress' and 'helper' or 'sidekick' characters

The role of the 'dispatcher' who sends the hero on their quest

The concept of 'donors' who provide assistance to the hero

The presence of a 'false hero' in some narratives

Application of Propp's theory to analyze characters in a given text

Example of applying theory to the 'Quality Street' advert

The man in the advert portrayed as a 'hero' character

Women in the advert represented as 'princess' or 'damsel in distress' characters

Unconventional representation of characters in 'Kiss of the Vampire'

Importance of understanding Propp's character types for exam situations

Encouragement to apply Propp's theory to set texts for the Educast exam board

Transcripts

hello and welcome to my

easy-to-understand guide to props theory

Vladimir Propp is a theorist that could

pop up at both GCC and a level Media

Studies so it's important to know that

the good news is it's quite a simple

theory to understand now prop is a

theorist or was a theorist a long time

ago who created this theory about

characters that might appear in typical

narratives now it's important to

remember that his theory is quite old

and he didn't specifically come up with

this theory in relation to films or TV

programs but more about stories and

narratives in general we can apply it to

more modern media products his theory

simply is that he thinks that there are

certain character types that pop up in

most narratives so you're probably aware

of the typical characters that come up

in stories your hero your villain you

often have a damsel in distress you

often have a sidekick character who prop

calls the helper he also thinks there is

a character called the dispatcher who is

the person that often sends the hero on

their quest in the first place he also

thinks that there are characters that

act as donors they are people who donate

or give something to the hero to help

them on their quest

sometimes in narratives we have a false

hero somebody who is trying to be the

hero somebody who's trying to win but is

not really a good guy or a good person

now your job when using this theory in

an exam situation is to be able to look

whatever text is in front of you and try

and work out if any of the characters in

the text have been represented in a way

that fits one of these prop character

types

can you see who the hero is and how have

they been made to look like a hero if

you're doing GCC in your quality street

text if you are on the edge of caste

exam board you'll be able to see that

the man in the quality Street advert is

in the center of the adverts you've got

the

women around him around him surrounding

him looking up at him as though he's

some kind of hero and all of the images

kind of point to him in the middle of

the picture drawing our attention to him

and making him seem very powerful so

he's been represented as a kind of hero

in this advert and the two women I've

been definitely represented as the kind

of princess characters the women that

he's trying to win over the women that

he's trying to decide who he wants to be

where they're his prizes for having such

great chocolates obviously if you are

doing a level I want you to have a think

about some of the set texts that you

have got for the educast exam board if

you have a think about something like

kiss of the vampire is it clear who is

the hero is it clear who is the sort of

damsel in distress princess character

and actually what you could find is that

some of the women on the film poster

look as though they may be a damsel in

distress princess character that the

hero has to save but the other lady on

the poster in the middle it has a much

more powerful dominant body language

facial expression she stood up she has a

man by the throat and so perhaps she is

represented in a very unconventional way

in relation to props character theory so

it's important that you understand those

typical character types that prop thinks

come up in different narratives and that

you can try and apply them to those set

texts