Contextual `Studies- Spheres of Action

     I have yet to mention anything about our contextual studies sessions for this year. We have not been told what our final project will be for it yet but instead have been different themes for each lesson which will no doubt contribute to whatever we are expected to explore by the end of this term.
     This week we have been looking at Proppian theory in storytelling.
Vladmir Propp was a Russian scholar born in 1895 who studied, amongst other things, folklore and its morphology. He broke down different traditional fairytales into sections, and deduced that the sections had a number of "functions" that tended to appear consistently. These are as follows: "After the initial situation is depicted, the tale takes the following sequence of 31 functions:

1. ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.
2. INTERDICTION: An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this'). The hero is warned against some action (given an 'interdiction').
3. VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst the hero is away.
4. RECONNAISSANCE: The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc.; or intended victim questions the villain). The villain (often in disguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information, for example searching for something valuable or trying to actively capture someone. They may speak with a member of the family who innocently divulges information. They may also seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
5. DELIVERY: The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location.
6. TRICKERY: The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim). The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the villain is actually a friend and thereby gaining collaboration.
7. COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something (perhaps a map or magical weapon) to actively working against good people (perhaps the villain has persuaded the hero that these other people are actually bad).
8. VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc., commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc.). There are two options for this function, either or both of which may appear in the story. In the first option, the villain causes some kind of harm, for example carrying away a victim or the desired magical object (which must be then be retrieved). In the second option, a sense of lack is identified, for example in the hero's family or within a community, whereby something is identified as lost or something becomes desirable for some reason, for example a magical object that will save people in some way.
9. MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc./ alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment). The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
10. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
11. DEPARTURE: Hero leaves home;
12. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
13. HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against him);
14. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);
15. GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
16. STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct combat;
17. BRANDING: Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
18. VICTORY: Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
19. LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed);
20. RETURN: Hero returns;
21. PURSUIT: Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
22. RESCUE: Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);
23. UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL: Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;
24. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: False hero presents unfounded claims;
25. DIFFICULT TASK: Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);
26. SOLUTION: Task is resolved;
27. RECOGNITION: Hero is recognized (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
28. EXPOSURE: False hero or villain is exposed;
29. TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc.);
30. PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished;
31. WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted)."

     

Whilst we did not actually cover "functions" in our session we were introduced to Propp's book "Morphology of the Folktale" pictured below. Here we were informed of Propp's eight "broad characters" or as we referred to them "action spheres". Here Propp stated that the characters in the folktales he analysed could be split into eight categories

1) Villain- challenges the hero
2) Dispatcher- sends the hero off on his/her quest
3) Helper- possibly magical, aids hero in quest
4) Princess- hero's reward for completing quest, usually withheld from him/her until that point
5) Princesses's father- perhaps gives task to hero, Propp stated that the princess and her father are often indistinguishable in their function
6) Donor- aids/equips hero in preparation for task
7) The Hero- often protagonist of story, he who sets upon quest
8) False Hero- May try to steal princess or the hero's glory for himself

    It is worth mentioning that the definitions are not always literal. The princess may be a reward in the form of an object or treasure, likewise the helper could easily be a magical weapon or sidekick beast.

We were told to transfer what we have learnt to two games of our choice, but instead identify action spheres that were represented by the environment within game worlds. Our group decided to go with "Mirrors Edge" and "Little Big Planet". With LBP your entire world is endangered by a vacuum sucking the environment up. We decided that this in itself acts as a Dispatcher, if your character does not begin his quest he will be destroyed. It also doubles up as the Princess, by completing the game the Hero's world is saved, hence it is his reward. Your physical surroundings also act as a donor/helper as they provide abilities or equipment eg. a ledge you can climb up, to help you to your next stage.

We found a lot of similarities with action spheres in games and found it particularly difficult to find one hugely different. We went with "Mirrors Edge" eventually. To some extent the Villain and the Dispatcher are one and the same. An organisation that will try to kill you and at the same time, force you to keep moving. Other Villains can be found within the environment eg. crumbling ground, steep falls, that will certainly kill the character should she succumb to them. ME also use ledges as a helper upon the quest, but also it is worth pointing out a red colour scheme is applied to architecture the player is expected to interact with, and this two functions as a helper.

I have quite enjoyed looking at Propp's theories, which I feel familiar with having come across them before at college. At this point we are looking for themes that will eventually make up our final cs presentations, therefor I will be keeping Proppian theories in mind.