4.1.1

Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters

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Stock Gothic Characters

A stock character is a character type easily and quickly identified as recurring in a certain genre.

The aristocrat

The aristocrat

  • Often the villain, imprisoning the female victim.
  • Examples:
    • Manfred from The Castle of Otranto.
    • The Marquis from Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber.
The sacrificial victim

The sacrificial victim

  • Typically a female character who is terrorised or abused by a male figure (often a family member).
The outsider

The outsider

  • A figure who is isolated (or exiled) from the rest of society.
  • It is also the title of a short story by H.P Lovecraft, written in 1926.
The sage

The sage

  • A figure who possesses crucial information that can help resolve plot obstacles and mysteries affecting the main characters.

Proppian Characters

In his study of folklore tales, Russian literary scholar Vladimir Propp identified eight stock characters, many of whom are found in narratives across literary time periods and cultures.

The eight stock characters

The eight stock characters

  • The hero.
  • The helper.
  • The villain.
  • The false hero.
  • The donor.
  • The dispatcher.
  • The princess.
  • The princess’s father (sometimes amalgamated with the dispatcher).
Characters in _Dracula_

Characters in Dracula

  • In Dracula, these roles could be assigned in the following way.
    • The hero = Arthur - as described by Seward as he delivers the final blow to Lucy.
    • The helper = Quincey Morris - Arthur’s loyal friend.
    • The villain = Count Dracula.
    • The donor and dispatcher = Van Helsing.
    • In perhaps another slight at the concept of the ‘new woman’, Mina = the princess.
Jump to other topics
1

Context - Gothic Literature

1.1

Origins & Conventions of Gothic Literature

1.1.1Origins of Gothic Literature1.1.2Key Ideas in Gothic Literature1.1.3Gothic Genre Conventions in Dracula
1.2

Vampires in Gothic Literature

1.2.1Vampires
1.3

'Terror' & 'Horror'

1.3.1Ann Radcliffe & Lewis' The Monk1.3.2'Terror' & 'Horror' in Dracula
1.4

Narrative Features

1.4.1First-Person Narration & Epistolary Format
2

Context - The Victorian Era

2.1

The Victorian Era

2.1.1Fin de Siecle2.1.2The 'New Woman'2.1.3The Contagious Diseases Act
3

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

3.1.1Chapters 1-23.1.2Chapters 3-43.1.3Chapters 5-73.1.4Chapters 8-103.1.5Chapters 11-123.1.6Chapters 13-143.1.7Chapters 15-163.1.8Chapters 17-183.1.9Chapters 19-203.1.10Chapters 21-233.1.11Chapters 24-253.1.12Chapters 26-27
4

Character Profiles

4.1

Archetypal Gothic Characters

4.1.1Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters
4.2

Count Dracula

4.2.1Count Dracula: Character Profile4.2.2Count Dracula: Different Literary Perspectives
4.3

Other Main Characters

4.3.1Jonathan Harker4.3.2Dr Abraham Van Helsing4.3.3Dr Jack Seward4.3.4Mina Harker4.3.5Lucy Westenra
4.4

Minor Characters

4.4.1Arthur Holmwood & Quincey Morris4.4.2Renfield
5

Key Ideas

5.1

Key Ideas

5.1.1Transgression of Boundaries5.1.2The Supernatural & Un-dead5.1.3Masculinity & Femininity5.1.4Science, Modernity & Superstition5.1.5Madness, Illness & Confinement
6

Writing Techniques

6.1

Writing Techniques

6.1.1Epistolary Form & Narrative Voice6.1.2Intertextuality & Cultural References6.1.3Structure
7

Critical Debates & Interpretations

7.1

Initial Reception of Dracula

7.1.1Initial Reception of Dracula
7.2

Modern Reception of Dracula

7.2.1Modern Reception of Dracula

Practice questions on Stock & Proppian Gothic Characters

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Two examples of 'the aristocrat':Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Who is the sacrificial victim often terrorised by?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    Which stock character is often the villain?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Who is the helper in _Dracula_?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Who is the donor in _Dracula_?Multiple choice
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Chapters 26-27

Count Dracula: Character Profile