Media Theories Part 2 - Vladimir Propp's Narrative Functions

'Vladimir Propp was a Soviet folklorist and Scholar who analysed the basic plot components of Russian folk tales in the 1920's to identify their narrative elements' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp

Propp broke down the tales that he studied into the smallest parts he could, he called this the narratemes, or the more common phrase, narrative functions and claimed this was necessary for a narrative to exist. Each narrateme is an event that drives the story forward and can take it in a different direction. The functions he came up with do not appear in every narrative however, they always appear in the same order. Propp gave 31 functions that make an appearance in every narrative he analysed and these functions were as follows:

1. A member of a family leaves home. This is where the hero is introduced as a unique person within the village or tribe, whose needs may not be met by remaining.
2. A command to not do something, for example, "Do not go there" is given out to the hero.
3. The hero ignores the command.
4. The villain of the story appears and tries to find the jewels/treause/children and intended victim encounters the villain.
5. The villain gets information about the victim
6. The villain tries to deceive the victim to try and take possession of the victims belongings i.e - tries to trick the victim.
7. Victim ends up being fooled by the villain and therefore the victim mistakenly helps the enemy.
8. The villain causes harm or catastrophe, which in the folk tales Propp studied could have been abduction, stolen magical agent, ruining the village, casts a spell on someone, commits murder, threatens everyone, imprisons someone or even provide nightly torments. However, there is an alternative here which Propp replaces with this with a member of a family lacks or desires something (magical potion e.c.t.)
9. Misfortune or lack is made known and hero is dispatched or hears calls for help e.c.t, or alternatively the victim/hero is freed from imprisonment.
10. Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action.
11. Hero leaves home.
12. Hero is tested, interrogated or attacked. Prepares way for the receiving of the magical agent or helper (donor)
13. The hero reacts to actions of the future donor.
14. The hero gets the magical use of the agent (it is either directly given, located, made, purchased, suddenly appears, is eaten or drunk, or even offered by other characters.  
15. Hero is transferred or led to the whereabouts of the object of the search.
16. Hero and the villain join in direct combat.
17. Hero is wounded.
18. Villain is defeated.
19. Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken)
20. Hero returns.
21. The hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill hero)
22. Hero is eventually rescued from the pursuit.
23. Hero unrecognized, ends up somewhere else, lost.
24. False hero presents unfound claims.
25. Difficult task is presented to the hero.
26. Task is resolved.
27. Hero is recognized most likely by an object given to them.
28. False hero or villain is finally exposed.
29. Hero is given a new appearance.
30. Villain is punished.
31. Hero marries and ascends the throne or is rewarded/prompted.

The story is driven by the choices of the protagonist of the narrative, however, the narrative functions are shared between the main characters. Therefore, Propp proposed alongside the narrative functions, the character function. He claimed the majority of these appear within a narrative although they can obviously vary: 

• The hero - essentially the one who saves the day. 
• The villain - tries to overcome and get rid of the villain. 
• The donor - prepares hero by giving object of some sort. 
• The helper - helps the hero in their quest. 
• The princess - a sought-for person and usually her father. 
• The dispatcher - tries to make the lack or problem made clear and send hero. 
• The false hero - claims to be the hero.

Despite Propp's theory being based on folk russian tales in the 1920's they can be applied to modern films today. The narratives of films obviously appear in their trailers and therefore the Propp's narrative and character functions can arise.