Erving Goffman and Vladimir Propp developed theories about common character types that appear in narratives. Goffman identified four main character types: the protagonist, deuteragonist, bit player, and fool. Propp said stories typically include a hero, villain, dispatcher, donor, helper(s), false hero, and princess/heroine. Tzvetan Todorov and Claude Levi-Strauss developed structural theories of narrative. Todorov described a typical narrative structure as involving an initial equilibrium, a disruption, recognition of the disruption, an attempt to repair the damage, and a new equilibrium. Levi-Strauss said all narratives can be reduced to binary opposites such as good vs evil

1. A 2 M E D I A S T U D I E S R E S E A R C H
CHARACTER AND
NARRATIVE THEORIES

2. GOFFMAN’S CHARACTER THEORY
• Erving Goffman's character theory suggests that there
are four main types of broad character in a media text or
production;
• The protagonist (leading character)
• The deuteragonist (secondary character)
• The bit player (minor character whose specific
background the audience is not aware of)
• The fool (a character that uses humour to convey
messages)

3. The protagonist
The deuteragonist
The fool
The bit player

4. PROPP’S CHARACTER THEORY
• Vladimir Propp says the same types of character appear in all
stories:
• The villain - struggles against the hero
• The dispatcher – sends the hero on a quest. May be the
princess’ father.
• The donor - prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical
object
• The helper - helps the hero in the quest
• The princess/heroine – marries the hero
• The false hero - perceived as good character in beginning but
emerges as evil
• The hero - AKA victim/seeker/paladin/winner, usually marries
the princess

5. The hero
The villain
The dispatcher The donor
The helper(s)
The false hero
The princess/heroine

6. STRUGGLE AND RECOGNITION SCENE
• Struggle scene
• There is a struggle between the hero and the villain.
• The hero is branded.
• The villain is overcome.
• Recognition scene
• Hero is recognised and false hero/villain is unmasked.
• The hero gets the princess.

7. Struggle scene Recognition scene

8. TODOROV’S NARRATIVE THEORY
• 1) A state of equilibrium – All is as it should be
• 2) A disruption by an event
• 3) A recognition that the disruption has occurred
• 4) An attempt to repair the damage (of disruption)
• 5) return of a new equilibrium

9. equilibrium disruption
Recognition of disruption Attempt to repair damage
New equilibrium

10. LEVI STRAUSS’ NARRATIVE THEORY
• He said that all narratives could come down to binary
opposites.
• Good vs evil
• Black vs white
• Boy vs girl
• Weak vs strong