Contextual Studies - Propp's Structural Anaysis

Propp's structural analysis of Haroun and the Sea of Stories

In the book, "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" the progression of the story and the roles of the characters can be linked to Vladimir Propp's structural analysis of folklore. For example the beginning of the story starts with the mother of the hero (Haroun) leaving because of the father. This follows the 1^st function Absentation where the division of the cohesive family helps create initial tension in the story. While some of these functions do relate to the story, the progression of the story does not follow them strictly. The characters on the other hand can be likens to Proop's character functions, such as the father both dispatcher and the donor. And the Hoopie bird and even the magical wrench acting as helpers on the hero's quest.

Using Propp's structuralist 'spheres of action' theory we can use them to help refine and also redefine our own characters in relation to the game and story. With the emphasis of the characters purpose to the story, over their purpose to aesthetics, we can help create characters that are both meaningful and have the meaning help drive their appearance. These also help with how these characters interact with the game world. For these sphere's help broadly define how these characters will interact with the story, we can then clearly see and control how our characters will interact with the game, this helps create less confusion over their design and purpose in relation to both the game and the story if present.