Vladamir Propp analyzed Russian folk tales and identified their simplest narrative elements. He broke the tales into sections to define a sequence of 31 functions that typically occurred. Propp suggested there are a limited number of character types that share a function. He concluded all characters can be classified into 8 broad types, including villains, dispatchers, helpers, princesses, fathers, donors, heroes and false heroes. However, Propp's approach was criticized for removing verbal considerations and differences between individual tales.