Who was Vladimir Propp?
Vladimir Propp was a literary critic and a scholar who founded the idea that a certain type of character was to be used in every narrative structure. His theory has influenced many film makers to writing and producing successful narratives. Propp also suggested that all fairy tales follow a specific structure; a damsel in distress versus the hero that is trying to save her from her weak and vulnerable state.
These characters consist of:
The villain - fights the hero in some way causing conflict
The dispatcher - character who makes the villain's evil known and send the hero off
The (magical) helper - helps the hero in the quest
The princess/ damsel in distress - she is portrayed as weak and vulnerable, unable to save herself therefore must rely on the hero or prince (in fairy tales). She is usually seen as some sort of prize or possession that must be won over
Her father
The donor - prepares the hero or gives the hero some sort of magical object
The hero or victim/ seeker hero - reacts to donor, weds the princess
False hero - takes credit for the hero's actions or tries to marry the princess
Although this is commonly used within fairy tale type narratives, it is also commonly seen within other genres such as horror for example. This follows to the idea that the main character is a weak, vulnerable and innocent girl who is in desperate need of help. She is unable to help herself therefore relies on a strong, powerful man to 'save' her. This therefore conforms to representational stereotypes.
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