Task 6: Who is Vladimir Propp? (Research)

Vladimir Propp and his Theory

 Yakovlevich Propp was a Russian and Soviet formalist scholar, born on April 17, 1895. He analyzed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their simplest irreducible narrative elements. His Morphology of the Folk Tale was published in Russian in 1928. His character types are used in media education and can be applied to almost any story, be it in literature, theatre, film, television series, games, etc.

Vladimir Propp extended the Russian Formalist approach to the study of narrative structure. In the Formalist approach, sentence structures were broken down into analyzable elements, or morphemes, and Propp used this method by analogy to analyze Russian fairy tales. By breaking down a large number of Russian folk tales into their smallest narrative units, or narratemes, Propp was able to arrive at a typology of narrative structures. Propp remained a faculty member until his death in 1970.

His theory included the following 31 functions:

1. ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment.
2. TRICKERY: 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).
3. COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy.
4. VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes harm/injury to family member
5. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor).
6. HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions of future donor
7. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero acquires use of a magical agent
8. GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search.
9. STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct combat;
10. LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved
11. RETURN: Hero returns

ASHANTI- 'FOOLISH'

In this video, the villain has cheated on his wife. His wife send him away as a form of punishment. After a while, the villain recognizes his actions and returns home. the hero lets him back in and the situation is resolved. However at the end, he gives a look direct at the camera , which looks as though he has achieved his goal and seems a little trickery.