Morphology of a Folk Tale

Who is Propp?

Vladimir Propp (b. 1895) attended St. Petersburg University Vladimir Propp (b. 1895) attended St. Petersburg University. Majored in Russian and German philosophy. Who is Propp?

What did he do?

What did he do? Wrote Morphology of the Folk Tale (1928). Considered a breakthrough in folkloristics (formal study of folklore)

Folklore?

Folklore? Oral narratives such as fairy tales and mythology

What is morphology?

What is morphology? The study of form or structure.

And so Folkloristic morphology is?

And so Folkloristic morphology is? The study of the structure of folklore and fairy tales. Meaning what do the parts of the story do.

h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < Symbols and letters will represent characters and objects of a story, and the actions the characters and objects perform. h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <

h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) <

> < h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < depart return m magic mA magic animal mO magic object

mO3 h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < three magic objects msg magic spell (good) msb magic spell (bad) t transformation h hero

h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < hero, male h2 hero, female F father M mother

S B SM SF SB h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < sister brother SM stepmother SF stepfather SB stepbrother

SS ( ) pr rs D h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < stepsister ( ) “type of” pr pursuit, pursues rs rescues D difficult task

t - + : f h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < transformation - “loses, lost” + acquires : meets f finds

st [ ] [Q] P P1 h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < steals, is stolen [ ] episode of story [Q] a quest P place P1 forest

P2 P3 P1(m) rL X h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < tower P3 castle P1(m) magic forest rL Release, free X kill

mAg mAw mAt h1 > [Q] : mA + mO3 f M P1(m) rs M(t,mA) < giant witch mAt troll