Propp's Theory

Propp was a formalist who was trying to uncover the building blocks of folk tales and stories. He analysed fairtytales to see how characters are used to move the narrative forward. The emphasis was on looking at characters not as representing real people but as functions whose role was to move the narrative forward.

The roles include:
1. The hero
2. The Villain
3. The donor who provides the hero with a magic gift
4. The helper
5. The princess
6. The princess' father
7. The dispatcher, who sends the hero on his way
8. The false hero

I applied Propp's theory to Toy Story 3:

1. The hero - Woody and Buzz
2. The villain - Lotso
3. The donor - Woody
4. The helper - Mr and Mrs Potatohead
5. The princess - Barbie
6. The princess' father - N/A
7. The dispatcher - Telephone toy
8. The false hero - Lotso

This shows that each role isn't always applicable for characters in films. However, it does show how these roles/characters move the narrative forward and why they are crucial for doing so.

Criticisms include:
- Propp ignores the characters, tone and mood in his analysis.
- Lévi-Strauss was a main critic and he came from the Structuralist approach of seeking emaning in the film 'The Faculty' which Propp does not do.