An Analysis on The Sleeping Beauty Based on Vladimir Propp Theory PDF

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An Analysis on The Sleeping Beauty Based on Vladimir Propp Theory PAPER Submitted to fulfill the requirements of Folklore Mid-term & Final Exams By Name : Tantri Sundari NIM : 147 835 098 Class : P2TK ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION POST GRADUATE PROGRAM STATE UNIVERSITY OF SURABAYA 2014 1 An Analysi...

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An Analysis on The Sleeping Beauty Based on Vladimir Propp Theory

PAPER Submitted to fulfill the requirements of Folklore Mid-term & Final Exams

By Name

: Tantri Sundari

NIM

: 147 835 098

Class

: P2TK

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION POST GRADUATE PROGRAM STATE UNIVERSITY OF SURABAYA 2014 1

An Analysis on The Sleeping Beauty Based on Vladimir Propp Theory

A. Introduction Folklore is the traditional stories handed down within a community, it preceded the invention of writing by thousands of years yet exists alongside written literature and film as a source of storytelling entertainment and social functions. Folklore is also called as a set of customs passed down the years in a specific community (beliefs, sayings, stories, songs, dance, objects, rituals). Amos (1982) states that folklore can be restricted to customs and observances that each individual adheres to in the privacy of his home, though all the people in the society abide by them. One of genres of folklore is fables or folktales. Folktale is general term for any of numerous varieties of traditional narrative. Folktale is a type of folklore which can be formed in oral and written form. There are so many kinds of folktale books that could be enjoyed by everyone. One of the most famous books about folktale is “The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm”. The Sleeping Beauty includes in that phenomenal book. This folktale tells about a princess who was cursed by a witch that she will fall asleep for a hundred years if she hurts by a spindle. But then a handsome prince come to save her. Vladimir Propp examined hundreds of folk myths and fairy tales in Russia in 1928. His work was generally unnoticed in the West until it was translated in the 1950s. The Russian formalist scholar identified 8 typical characters and 31 functions which can be applied to almost any story, be it in literature, film, theatre and television. Propp’s theory is a form of structuralism which is a view that all media is inevitably in the form of certain fixed structures. While Propp’s research is focussed on Russian folktales, I’ve chosen to focus on the sleeping beauty by grimms and apply his functions and character types to the story. B. Vladimir Propp Theory Vladimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folktale is widely acknowledged by narratologists as one of the most impressive contributions to the understanding of

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plot structure. This work has exhibited a continued fascination both for writers of screenplays and for structuralist analysts of narrative fiction. Essentially, what Propp did in his important study was to offer a means for analyzing folktales in terms of their functions. For Propp, “ function denotes the action of the character from the point of view of its significance for the progress of the narrative ” (Propp, 1968, p. 74). To take a concrete example: “ if an eagle takes the hero to the country of the princess, we do not have the function of flying on a bird but one of transfer to the place where the object of the search is located ” (Propp, 1968, p. 73). As Propp argues,“ my analysis originated in the observation that in the wondertale different characters perform identical actions, or, what is the same thing, that identical actions can be performed in very different ways ”(Propp, 1968, p. 74). According to Propp, excluding the initial situation, these functions may be gathered into six distinct groupings (Propp, 1968, p. 25): 

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The Initial Situation is not a Function

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Functions 8-10 = Complication,

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Functions 16-18 = Struggle,

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Functions 1-7 = Preparation,

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Functions 11-15 = Transference,

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Functions 19-26 = Return, Functions 27-31 = Recognition, As well as finding the 31 narratemes, Vladimir Propp also identified a

limited set of eight broad character types (Propp, 1968): a) The hero, in every story there is major character with whom the reader will normally associate the moststrongly and who is the key person around which the story is told. b) The helper, the hero is supported in his or her quest by a helper, often wise old man or magician, who appears at critical moment to provide support. c) The villain, the sharpest contrast against the hero is the villain, who struggles directly against the hero.

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d) The false hero, a variant on the villain and a potential complication within the plot is the false hero, who appears to act heroically and may even be initially mistaken for the real hero. e) The donor is someone who gives the hero something special, such as a magical weapon or some particular wisdom. f) The dispatcher, an early role in the story is that of the dispatcher who sends the hero to a mission. g) The princess, she maybe the object which is deliberately sought by the hero, or she may be the reward after the hero completing the mission. h) The princess father, who constraint the princess or who may dispatch the hero on his mission to save princess. C. The Story of The Sleeping Beauty/ Little Brier-Rose A long time ago there were a King and Queen who said every day, "Ah, if only we had a child!" but they never had one. But it happened that once when the Queen was bathing, a frog crept out of the water on to the land, and said to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter." What the frog had said came true, and the Queen had a little girl who was so pretty that the King could not contain himself for joy, and ordered a great feast. The feast was held with all manner of splendour and when it came to an end the Wise Women bestowed their magic gifts upon the baby: one gave virtue, another beauty, a third riches, and so on with everything in the world that one can wish for. When eleven of them had made their promises, suddenly the thirteenth came in. She wished to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without greeting, or even looking at any one, she cried with a loud voice, "The King's daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead." And, without saying a word more, she turned round and left the room. They were all shocked; but the twelfth, whose good wish still remained unspoken, came forward, and as she could not undo the evil sentence, but only soften it, she said, "It shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall." The King, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the whole kingdom should be burnt. Meanwhile the gifts of the Wise Women were plenteously fulfilled on the young girl, for she was so beautiful, modest, good-natured, and wise, that everyone who saw her was bound to love her. 4

It happened that on the very day when she was fifteen years old, the King and Queen were not at home, and the maiden was left in the palace quite alone. So she went round into all sorts of places, looked into rooms and bed-chambers just as she liked, and at last came to an old tower. She climbed up the narrow winding-staircase, and reached a little door. A rusty key was in the lock, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there in a little room sat an old woman with a spindle, busily spinning her flax. "Good day, old dame," said the King's daughter; "what are you doing there?" "I am spinning," said the old woman, and nodded her head. "What sort of thing is that, that rattles round so merrily?" said the girl, and she took the spindle and wanted to spin too. But scarcely had she touched the spindle when the magic decree was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it. And, in the very moment when she felt the prick, she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And this sleep extended over the whole palace; the King and Queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to go to sleep, and the whole of the court with them. But the story of the beautiful sleeping "Briar-rose," for so the princess was named, went about the country, so that from time to time kings' sons came and tried to get through the thorny hedge into the castle. After long, long years a King's son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn-hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar-rose, had been asleep for a hundred years; and that the King and Queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather, that many kings' sons had already come, and had tried to get through the thorny hedge, but they had remained sticking fast in it, and had died a pitiful death. Then the youth said, "I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar-rose." The good old man might dissuade him as he would, he did not listen to his words. Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the little room where Sleeping Beautywas sleeping. There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away; and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Sleeping Beauty opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly. Then they went down together, and the King awoke, and the Queen, and the whole court, 5

and looked at each other in great astonishment And then the marriage of the King's son with Sleeping Beautywas celebrated with all splendour, and they lived contented to the end of their days. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014)

D. The Analysis of Dramatis Personae 1) The Villain In this story the first villain is a friend of people who’s they called as wise woman, those wise women maybe a kind of fairy or witch. The thirteenth of those fairy suspected as the villain. The next villain is a woman who was spinning, it is impossible for the princess to find a spindle because he already orders to burn the spindle in the whole kingdom. So, I think it was a set up for the Princess. 2) The Donor

3) 4)

5)

6)

7) 8)

The first donor appears as a frog that gave magic wish to the King and Queen. The second donor is the Prince’s grandfather who told the story of sleeping beauty to the Prince. The helper There is no helper in the story of Sleeping Beauty. The Princess The Princess is called by Sleeping Beauty or Briar-Rose. She is the who was cursed by the fairy. The Dispatcher The dispatcher is the Prince’s grandfather who told the story of sleeping beauty to put the test on the Prince. The Hero The hero is the Prince who kissed Sleeping Beauty. He went to the dangerous horn-hedge to saw and saved the Princess. Princess Father The king is the Princess father who order the guard to burn all spindle. The False Hero There is no false hero in the story of Sleeping Beauty or Briar-Rose.

E. The Analysis of Function 1) The Initial Situation 0 This part of the story is not a function, it is more giving some information about the state condition on the beginning of a story. The initial situation will trigger other function, and it is the base of story.

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A long time ago there were a King and Queen who said every day, "Ah, if only we had a child!" but they never had one. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 247) 2) Function 14: protagonist acquires use of magical agent = acquisition of magical agent (donor) The donor appears as a frog which gave magic wish to the King and Queen. But it happened that once when the Queen was bathing, a frog crept out of the water on to the land, and said to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter." (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 247) 3) Function 8: antagonist(s) causes harm or injury to victim(s)/member of protagonist's family The harm came from a friend of people who’s they called as wise woman, those wise women maybe a kind of fairy or witch. The thirteenth of those fairy suspected as the villain. She put a curse to the Princess, because she disappointed not being invited to the feast. She wished to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without greeting, or even looking at any one, she cried with a loud voice, "The King's daughter shall in her fifteenth year prick herself with a spindle, and fall down dead." …she said, "It shall not be death, but a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess shall fall." (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 247) 4) Function 2: an interdiction is addressed to protagonist(s) = interdiction Because of the curse, the king ordered his soldiers to burn all the spindle in the whole country. He did it as a protection of his daughter, and the safety of the Princess. The King, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the whole kingdom should be burnt. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, pp. 247-248) 5) Function 1: member(s) of family absents themselves from home = absentation King and Queen were not beside the Princess on her fifteenth years old. As we know that made Princess wander around the palace and found the spindle.

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It happened that on the very day when she was fifteen years old, the King and Queen were not at home, and the maiden was left in the palace quite alone. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 248) 6) Function 3: interdiction is violated = violation The protagonist ignores the interdiction (warning not to do something) and goes ahead. The Princess wandered around the palace then found a woman who was spinning. She definitely ignores his father prohibition about the spindle. She climbed up the narrow winding-staircase, and reached a little door. A rusty key was in the lock, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there in a little room sat an old woman with a spindle, busily spinning her flax. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 248) 7) Function 7: victim(s) / protagonist(s) accept deception and unwittingly help antagonist(s) = complicity The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain in some way. The Princess wandered around the palace then found a woman who was spinning, then she tried spinning but unfortunately it trigger the curse. "Good day, old dame," said the King's daughter; "what are you doing there?" "I am spinning," said the old woman, and nodded her head. "What sort of thing is that, that rattles round so merrily?" said the girl, and she took the spindle and wanted to spin too. But scarcely had she touched the spindle when the magic decree was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 248) 8) Function 9: misfortune/lack made known, protagonist(s) approached with request/command, they are allowed to go/dispatched = mediation, the connective incident. The news about a beautiful princess who falls asleep along with her palace spread all over the world. It made some people come to the abandon castle where knows full of the thorn-hedge, that make it dangerous to go there. "Briar-rose," for so the princess was named, went about the country, so that from time to time kings' sons came and tried to get through the thorny hedge into the castle. But they found it impossible, for the thorns held fast together, as if they had hands, and the youths were caught in 8

them, could not get loose again, and died a miserable death. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 249) But there is a brave young handsome Prince who heard the story of Sleeping Beauty from his grand father. After long, long years a King's son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn-hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar-rose, had been asleep for a hundred years; and that the King and Queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 249) 9) Function 10: protagonist(s) agrees to or decides on counteraction = beginning counteraction After listen to his grand father story, a brave young handsome Prince intend to go to the haunted castle to save the Sleeping Beauty/ Briar-Rose. Then the youth said, "I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar-rose." (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 249) 10) Function 12: protagonist(s) tested, interogates, attacked, etc. which prepares way for receiving magical agent or helper = first function of donor The test was given by his grand father who told him the story of Sleeping Beauty. He already told the Prince that it is a dangerous mission, but actually it is a kind of a test to him. If he really goes it means that he could be a brave king someday. The good old man might dissuade him as he would, he did not listen to his words. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 249) 11) Function 15: protagonist(s) transferred, delivered or led to vicinity of object of search = transference, guidance function 15: protagonist(s) transferred, delivered or led to vicinity of object of search = transference, guidance The Prince finally came to the Sleeping Beauty castle, he can go through the dangerous hedge of torn easily. When the King's son came near to the thorn-hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which parted from each other of their own

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accord, and let him pass unhurt, then they closed again behind him like a hedge. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 250) 12) Function 19: initial misfortune or lack is liquidated = liquidation The Prince went inside the castle and found the Sleeping beauty body lay down on her bed. Then he kissed her, and awake. Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the little room where Sleeping Beauty was sleeping. There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away; and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Sleeping Beauty opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 250) 13) Function 26: task resolved = solution After the Prince kissed Sleeping Beauty, and she wake up. It means that his mission to search and save the Princess is accomplished. Then they went down together, and the King awoke, and the Queen, and the whole court, and looked at each other in great astonishment. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 250) 14) Function 31: protagonist(s) marries and ascends throne = wedding The Prince and The Princess finally get married, and happily ever after. And then the marriage of the King's son with Sleeping Beautywas celebrated with all splendour, and they lived contented to the end of their days. (Grimm & Grimm, 2014, p. 250) The Sleeping Beauty story by Grimm Brother has fourteen functions out of thirty-one. F. CONCLUSION From the discussion, we can take a conclusion that the story of The Sleeping Beauty has a similar structure as Russian folktale as Vladimir Propp. Only fourteen functions appear in the story, but Propp never mention that the story should contain all the function. It might be influenced by the culture where the story come from, or based on the genre of story; family, love, heroism. While based on the analysis on the dramatis personae, the story of Sleeping Beauty only has six categories.

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REFERENCE Amos, D.-B. (1982). Folklore in context essays. New Delhi: South Asian Publishers. Grimm, J., & Grimm, W. ( 2014). The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Propp, V. (1968). Morphology of the Folktale. Texas: University of Texas Press..

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