propp's character theory, and modern day character theory

Vladimir Propp's character theory breaks down characters into specific groups based on certain characteristics that are present with in folk tales. This theory is used to identify characters within a story which help to construct the narrative and drive the story. The characters are broken down into eight groups; the hero (the character who generally leads the narrative since the story told is about them), the villain (fights against the hero and makes the audience favour the hero), the donor (gives the hero some sort advice or weapon to help him complete the quest), the helper/sidekick (supports the hero and appears in the critical moments), the princess (acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain's plots, she usually gains a relationship with the hero), the dispatcher (responsible for giving the hero his/her mission), the false hero (the one who pretends to be the hero in order to gain a reward) and the Princess' father (who acts to reward the hero for his effort).

A more modern day of explaining character theory according to horror films in specifically include teenage characters; the characters have one main personality trait. These usually are; the nerd, the jock, the whore, the virgin and the fool. With the jock and the whore having some sort of relationship and the nerd and the virgin gaining a relationship. The fool is also known as the irritating guy who is usually addicted to drugs or alcohol and sometimes becomes the protagonist or dies off very quickly. The protagonist in the film is usually mislead to be the nerd or the jock but it is nearly always the virgin. The whore, sometimes known as the sex appeal, is usually the first to be killed off and usually is a dumb, promiscuous blonde.