FAIRY TALE THEORY

Vladimir Propp’s “Morphology of the Folktale” is a structuralist theory that seeks to analyze and
categorize the fundamental elements of traditional fairy tales. Propp was a Russian folklorist who
developed this theory in the 1920s, and it has since become a foundational framework for
understanding the narrative structure of folk narratives, particularly in the context of Russian fairy
tales.

Propp’s theory identifies 31 basic functions and seven character roles that are commonly found in
fairy tales. These functions include actions or events like “absentation” (the hero leaves home),
“interdiction” (a prohibition is issued), “violation of interdiction” (the prohibition is broken),
“struggle” (the hero faces and overcomes challenges), and “wedding” (the hero is rewarded and
may marry). The character roles include the hero, the villain, the donor, and others.

One of the central ideas in Propp’s theory is that these functions and character roles are not
specific to any single tale but are common across a wide range of fairy tales from different
cultures. In other words, Propp argued that there is a universal structure underlying many
traditional stories, regardless of the cultural variations.

Propp’s methodology involved breaking down these functions and character roles, identifying their
sequence in the narrative, and analyzing how they interact. This allowed him to create a kind of
“grammar” of folktales, providing a systematic way to study and compare different stories.

While Propp’s theory has been influential and valuable in the field of folklore and narrative
studies, it also has its limitations. Critics argue that not all folk narratives fit neatly into Propp’s
framework, and some stories may deviate from the established functions and character roles.
Additionally, Propp’s theory focuses on the structural elements of the tales but doesn’t delve
deeply into the cultural and symbolic aspects of storytelling.

In conclusion, Propp’s “Morphology of the Folktale” is a foundational theory for understanding the
common structural elements of fairy tales. It provides a valuable framework for analyzing the
underlying patterns that recur in these stories, and it remains a significant contribution to the
study of folklore and narrative structure.