Vladimir Propp Narrative Theory and

Character Identities in the Hunger Games

Vladimir Propp was a folklorist researcher of Soviet origin who was interested in the relationship
between characters and narrative. Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots
develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story. He
claimed characters could be classified into certain roles that progress a story. According to him,
there are eight types of character. These character types were:

The Hero - This is a character that is searching for something, initiated by the absence of it.
The Dispatcher - This is the character that motivates the hero to find it.
The Villain - The character attempting to stop the hero or disrupt his/her life.
The Helper - A character who aids the hero's cause and helps them to reach their goal.
The Donor - A character who gives something (usually a magical object) to the hero.
The Princess - The hero's reward.
Her Father - Rewards the hero.
The False Hero - Someone who appears to be helping the hero, but is in fact against them.

Application of Propp’s Character Identities to The Hunger Games Novel by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is

written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the future, post-
apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis,
exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games is an annual event in
which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol
are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle royale to the death.

The book received critical acclaim from major reviewers and authors. It was praised for its plot
and character development. The novel is the first in The Hunger Games trilogy, followed
by Catching Fire (2009) and Mockingjay (2010). 

The Hero - Katniss Everdeen was the one who volunteered to take Prim's place in The Hunger
Games and in the end she was one of the survivors of the games. Although she isn't a hero of her
own accord, her cause is to win the Hunger Games (for the second time in the series) and return
home to her family.

The False Hero - There is no such thing as a false hero in this novel and movie, but there are
some false villains who disagree with President Snow and want to help Katniss. Every year,
Effie Trinket, Katniss and Peeta's escort, announces the randomly selected tributes for the games.
She and Katniss exchange glances during the reaping ceremony. Katniss is sobbing, and Effie is
looking at her with a sad, sympathetic expression, possibly on the verge of tears herself. She also
tells Katniss before she leaves in the film that she deserves better. 

The Princes - The princess in the trailer is Katniss' sister, Primrose Everdeen. She is the reward
for Katniss, as it is her that she is trying to save and keep safe; in the first film, The Hunger
Games (2012), Katniss volunteers to replace Primrose in the games.

The Father - Because Katniss' real father died before the events of the first film, there is no
specific father in the film. However, there is a father-like figure in the films: Haymitch
Abernathy, who serves as Katniss' mentor for the games. He gives advice and occasionally useful
items, making him a father figure/donor hybrid, though he does not provide the reward as
Propp's theory suggests.

The Helper – It could also be opined that Peeta Mellark is the helper, as he volunteers to
accompany Katniss into the games and assist her in surviving. However, many characters
attempt to help Katniss in some way, such as Rue and Thresh. When Katniss was passed out on
the ground during the games, Rue helped her recover and get her away from the dangerous
area.  Thresh is also seen as a helper as when Clove was about to kill Katniss, Thresh got in the
way and killed Clove, letting Katniss go. 

The Dispatcher/ Villain - It could be asserted that the dispatcher is President Snow, the ruler of
Panem, because he invented the games and established the rule that the 'tributes' would be reaped
from the existing pool of victors (meaning Katniss would be entered for certain, because she is
the only living female victor in her district). President Snow, on the other hand, is the villain for
doing this to her on purpose. President Snow enjoys watching children kill each other. Cato,
Clove, Glimmer, and Marvel had also joined forces to kill as many people as possible in order to
win the games. They go after Katniss and attempt to kill her, but they fail. 

The Donor - Cinna's character is the donor. The fact that he actually works for the Capital, and
thus President Snow, subverts the character type he plays, but he is shown to like and admire
Katniss. He gives her the symbolic Mockingjay pin so she can bring it with her as a lucky item
into the games. It is not a 'magical object,' as Propp's theory claims, but it gives Katniss some
courage and comfort by reminding her of home and her friends and family.