Vladimir Propp identified eight main character roles in narratives, including the hero, villain, donor, dispatcher, false hero, and helper. The Hunger Games serves as an example of Propp’s theory, featuring characters such as Katniss as the hero and President Snow as the villain. Haymitch acts as the donor who supports Katniss, while Peeta serves as her helper during the competition.

1. VLADIMIR PROPP

2. PROPP’S MAIN THEORY:
•Propp found that within any narrative there are 8 main characters that
appear in that narrative:
1. The Hero – A character that seeks something.
2. The Villain – Someone who opposes the hero’s mission.
3. The Donor – Someone who provides an object with special
properties.
4. The Dispatcher – Someone who sense the hero on their mission
with a message.
5. The False Hero – Someone who disrupts the hero’s success by
making false claims.
6. The Helper – Someone who aids the hero.

3. HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO A FILM?
•The Hunger Games is a good example for applying Propp’s character
theory to a film.
•This is because you can fit at least 4 of the characters from his theory
in to this film.
•While the audience may not understand Propp’s theory, it is still
evident to the audience which characters are which in the film.

4. THE HERO
•In the Hunger Games, it is Katniss acts as the hero.
•She starts a revolution in order to help the victims of the villain.
•Therefore, by starting a revolution, she can help to get rid of the
villain in the film and get the villain’s victims back home safely.

5. THE VILLAIN
•In the Hunger Games it is President Snow who acts as the villain.
•Each year, one girl and one boy must compete in the Hunger Games
and President Snow is the man responsible for this.
•He is a man who doesn’t care about people getting hurt or even
killing people because he believes that these people will be a threat
to him.

6. THE DONOR
•In the Hunger Games, it is Haymitch who is the donor.
•Haymitch is the person who provides Katniss with the things that can
help her and Peter win the competition.
•For example, Haymitch is the person who finds a place where Katniss
can train up and provides the necessary tools so she can do the best
that she can in the competition.

7. THE HELPER
•In the Hunger Games, it is Peter who acts as Katniss’s helper.
•Peter is selected along with Katniss from District 12 to fight in the
Hunger Games.
•In one scene, Katniss gets an infection from some poisonous gas
which is filling the area.
•However, Peter manages to get her away from the gas to stop any
more injuries or even death, which will then look bad on the whole of
District 12.