Character Networks, the Zero Function, and the Lost Character: Solving Three Anomalies in Plot Genotype Theory

Abstract

ABSTRACT:In Morphology of the Folktale, Vladimir Propp sets out three major postulates for understanding his corpus of Russian fairy tales: the first is the concept of the character network; the second is that of the participant role; the third is the importance of character action. According to Propp, each separate character fills a particular participant role in a definite character network, where that character is defined not in terms of his or her character attributes, but rather in terms of the importance of his or her action for the outcome of the story. Nonetheless, if we attempt to apply Propp’s plot genotype analysis to a number of fairy tales, including Charles Perrault’s Cinderella, we are confronted by a number of potential anomalies, anomalies that suggest a potential contradiction between Propp’s second and third postulates. In this paper, we aim to solve these anomalies by defining two new character concepts: the first is that of the Cipher Character; the second, that of the Lost Character. These modifications have some interesting repercussions within the wider realm of narrative.