Research on Narrative Theories

Vladimir Propp:
Propp is a Russian critic who proposed that it was possible to classify the characters and their actions into clearly defined roles.
Propp's character roles:
 • The Hero (seeks something)
 • The Villain (opposes the hero)
 • The Donor (helps the hero by providing a magic object)
 • The Dispatcher (sends hero on his way)
 • The False Hero (falsely assuming the role of the hero)
 • The Helper (gives support to hero)
 • The Princess (reward for the hero, also needs protection from villain)
 • Her Father (gives the hero his reward for completing quest)

I was able to somewhat apply the majority of this theory to one of the main stories for my newspaper, although there is not a straightforward hero, villain, etc.. I was able to apply it and show it in a sense. I chose the 'Passing Hextable student saves elderly lady from house fire' story.
Propp's character roles applied:
 • The Hero - Ben Jones, the Hextable School student
 • The Villain - The fire
 • The Donor - The fire brigade
 • The Helper - Firemen
 • The Princess - Elderly lady (was not the reward for the hero but did need protection from the 'villain')
 • Her Father - The local council (not the actual father of the 'princess', but it giving the 'hero' a reward)


Tzvetan Todorov:
Todorove is a Bulgarian literary theorist who suggests that most narratives start with a state of equilibrium in which life is 'normal' and protagonist's happy, this is then disrupted by a force which has to be fought against in order to return to a state of new equilibrium.
EQUILIBRIUM
           \/
DISEQUILIBRIUM
           \/
NEW EQUILIBRIUM

I was also able to apply this theory to the same story.
The student was walking to meet a friend which would be classed as his 'normal' day and here the protagonist is happy.
           \/
The force that disrupts this normal and happy everyday life would be the fire, the student knows that there is something wrong and that he would have to fight against it.
           \/
Once the fire has been fought and the elderly lady is saved, there is now a new state of equilibrium where once again the protagonist is happy and life returns back to a 'normal' state.