BLOG 7 – Theorist
and Terminology
Propp and Todorov
Vladimir Propp had a theory that all characters could be
resolved 7 broad character tropes and functions. These tropes are
The Villain – Antagonises the protagonist. For example, Scar
from the Lion King
The Dispatcher- Is used in the beginning of the story to
drive the plot forward; will send the hero off in his/hers quest. For example,
Uncle Ben in Spider Man
The Helper – Helps the hero. Usually comic relief. For
example, Robin from Batman
The Princess/ Prize – The “goal” of the hero. For example,
Sleeping Beauty
The Donor – Prepares the hero for his quest. For example,
Obi Wan
The Hero – primary protagonist. For example, Frodo
The False Hero – secondary antagonist and rival to the hero.
For example, Draco Malfoy
These character tropes can be subverted and deconstructed. A
great example of this would be the majority of the characters from the Shrek franchise;
almost every character subverts the connotations/expectations of the fairy tale
cliché. Shrek the ogre living in the swamp, is our main protagonist, and Prince
Charming is our antagonist.
Todorov proposed that the narrative itself could be resolved
in a 5 part pattern.
- A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)
- 2. A disruption of that order by an event.
- 3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.
- 4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
- 5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibriumBarthes’ CodeThe Hermeneutic Code – the way the story avoids telling the truth or revealing the facts, in order to provide clues to develop the narrative enigmaThe Enigma/ Proairetic Code – The way tension is built up and the audience is left guessing what happens nextThe Semantic Code – Any element in a text that suggests a particular often additional meaning by way of connotations which the story suggests.The symbolic code – Like the semantic code, but acts a wider level, organising meanings into a larger scale meaning,The Cultural Code – looks at the audience’s morality, culture and technology.Time and Narrative Structure –Narrative structure is the structural framework that underlies the order and manner in which the narrative is presented to the audience. The narrative text structures are the plot and the setting.Usually the narrative structure of any work contains a plot, theme and resolution. It can be divided into three sections: setup, conflict and resolution.A good example of this would be Scott Pilgrim Versus the World (2010), the setup is that Scott ends up on a date with Ramona, the conflict is in order to go out without her he has to defeat her “7 evil exes”, and the resolution is that after deafting the exes, Scott starts his relationship with Ramona.A non-linear narrative is one which is composed with a branching structure where a single starting point may lead to multiple developments and outcomes. This is the typical narrative approach of most modern video games and hearkens back to a minor genre, "books where you are the hero", sometimes referred to as "gamebooks".
