The Shining - Vladimir Propp Character Analysis

"The Shining" was a film made in 1980 by director Stanley Kuberick, this is the film that I will be relating to Vladimir Propp's theory about character analysis and narrative structure.

Villain - Jack Torrence

Donor - Stuart Ullman

Helper - Tony & Dick Halloran

Princess - Wendy Torrence

Princess's father - Danny Torrence

Dispatcher - Stuart Ullman

Hero/Victim - Danny & Wendy Torrence

False Hero - Jack Torrence

• 
  
  Preperation:
  
  
  

A member of the family leaves home - Jack Torrence leaves home for a job interview.

A prohibition or rule is imposed on the hero - Danny is told not to enter room 237.

The prohibition is broken - Danny enters room 237.

The villian learns something about the victim - Jack learns that Danny has a "gift" and is contacting someone for help.

The villian harms a member of the family - Jack doesn't physically harm the family but he does harm them mentally by trying to harm them with an axe and killing Dick Halloran.

• 
  
  Complication:
  
  
  

A member of the family lacks or desires something - Jack desires to be a writer.

• 
  
  Transference
  
  
  

The hero leaves home - Wendy and Danny both leave home to join Jack at the hotel. The hero is tested and interogated and then recieves a helper - Wendy & Danny are interogated by Jack and then Dick Halloran arrives to help them after recieving a shining from Danny.

• Struggle

The hero and villian join in direct combat - Wendy and Jack are both in direct combat in two scenes; 1. Jack is confronting wendy on the stairs where she is swinging a baseball bat at him. 2. Jack in chopping the door down with an axe when wendy who is trapped in the room cuts his hand with a knife.
The villian is defeated - Jack gets lost in the maze whilst Wendy and Danny get away.

• Return

The task is accomplished - Wendy and Danny survive and get away from the hotel.

• Recognition

The villian is punished - Jack dies by freezing to death after getting lost in the maze.