Morphology of the Folktale

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Morphology of the Folktale

• Vladimir Propp

2
Propp background

• Scholarly context the historico-geographic
  method
• Problems
• Orality
• Indo-European material outside correct area
• Tale-Type Index and distinctions between animal
  tales, magic tales, everyday life tales
• Gut feeling versus objective and reproducible
  definition
• Making distinctions consistently
• Making distinctions without EXTENSIVE folklore
  knowledge

3
Political context of Propp

• NEP and the early post-Revolution period (before
  Stalin)
• Formalist school in literary criticism
• Striving for objectivity, scientific method
• Literary item itself no context
• Propps method of comparison, isolation of basic
  structural units

4
Propps goals

• Description
• Drawing boundaries
• Isolate structure
• Produce results that can be repeated by others

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Propps results

• Basic tale unit is the FUNCTION
• (and what follows)
• Who performs function does not matter
• Number of functions limited (31)
• Sequence is identical
• Possible zero (except for lack)
• All magic tales are of one type

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Functions optional intro

• Family member absents self
• Interdiction
• Interdiction violated
• Villain gt reconnaissance
• Villain gets info.

• Villain attempts to deceive
• Victim submits/complies
• Villain causes harm/ carries off victim
• (victim hero or object that must be retrieved)

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Alternate beginning

• Family members lacks something, wants something
• Lack made known
• Hero agrees to get (seeker hero)
• Hero leaves home

• Hero tested
• Hero reacts
• Hero receives agent
• Transfer
• Combat with villain
• Branding
• Villain defeated
• Lack liquidated

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Alternate conclusion

• Hero arrives home, not recognized
• False hero
• Difficult task/resolved
• Hero recognized/false hero exposed
• Epiphany/punishment
• Marriage and rule

• Hero returns
• Hero pursued
• Rescue from pursuit
• Conclusion or 2 older brothers commit new
  villainy

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Concept of zero in language

• NATure as root
• Denature
• Natural
• Naturalization papers
• Supernatural
• Nation

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Arrangement of functions

• Complete set one move
• Complete set is NOT 1-31 it is from lack to
  resolution of lack and/or marriage
• Tale has at least one move, though can have more
• Functions may be repeated as well as left out
  either individually, or in groups

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Dramatis personae/not character

• Villain
• Donor
• Helper
• Girl (and father)
• Dispatcher
• Hero
• False hero

• Several characters can one DP
• One character can be more than one DP
• At various points in tale
• At same time
• Character is NOT personality

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Historical consequences of Propp

• His fate in the USSR
• Formalism is a no-no
• Propps later work
• Social context
• Marxian view of history
• Structuralist again in late life

• Propp in the West
• Tested and indeed in works on virtually
  anything and everything
• Not applied to other tale types
• Universal applicability devalues work

13
Positive implications

• The pattern Propp isolates from tales is some
  sort of universal pattern of thought
• Films such as Star Wars
• Experiments done in class start of pattern,
  transmission experiment
• Chronicle of Higher Education
• History grad student and strange data
• Medical school textbooks and conception

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Other Propp material

• Functions may repeat
• Individually
• In groups
• Same action may fill 2 function slots at same
  time
• Same action may be different functions what
  follows matters

• Auxiliary functions connecting elements
• Same character different dramatis personae
• At different times
• At same time internalized

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More structural elements

• Trebling of virtually anything
• Motivation singularly lacking no character
  development
• Villains are villainous just because
• Heroes are not heroic

• Arrangement of dramatis personae
• Spheres of action
• Different concept than the functions
• This is a grouping of functions by actor, not by
  sequence in tale

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Arrangement of dramatis personae

• Spheres of action
• Different concept than the functions
• This is a grouping of functions by actor, not by
  sequence in the story

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Spheres of action

• Villain
• Villainy initial
• Fight with hero/helper
• Pursuit
• Donor
• Test
• Magical agent

• Helper
• Spatial transfer
• Liquidation of lack
• Rescue from pursuit
• Solution of difficult task
• Transfiguration (of hero)

18
Spheres continued

• Girl (and father)
• Assign difficult task
• Brand hero
• Expose false hero
• Recognition
• Punishment (of false hero)
• Marriage

• Dispatcher
• Dispatch hero
• Hero
• Departure
• Reaction to donor
• Wedding
• False hero
• Same but false claims instead of wedding

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More on character of characters

• Introduction of character depends on story
  structure victim hero/seeker hero difference
• Some difference hostile and willing donors
• Attributes of dramatis personae are external
  appearance, place of origin not personality

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Arrangement of moves what constitutes a single
tale

• 1 move
• 2 moves, one positive and one negative
• Trebling
• Lack from one move used as magic agent in other
  (often horse)

• 2 villainous acts in initial situation follow
  one, then other (2 brother tales)
• False hero type, often with 3 brothers

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Solving the Proppian pattern

• Propps pattern applies very well to first Stat
  Wars, one that came out 25 years ago
• Where did George Lucas get his ideas did not
  read Propp
• He did read Jung
• As did Jim Henson of the Muppets his Dark
  Crystal is almost straight Jung