Morphology of the Folktale

Vladimir Propp was born in Petersburg, April 29, 1895. In 1932 he was called to a position at the University of Leningrad and went on to make major contributions to Russian folklore studies, comparative mythology, and the classification of folklore genres. His international fame is closely tied to the contributions he made to the structural analysis of folklore in Morphology of the Folktale.

Preface to the Second Edition Introduction to the Second Edition Introduction to the First Edition Acknowledgements Author's Foreword I. On the History of the Problem II. The Method and Material III. The Functions of Dramatis Personae IV. Assimilations: Cases of the Double Morphological Meaning of a Single Function V. Some Other Elements of the Tale A. Auxiliary Elements for the Interconnection of Functions B. Auxiliary Elements in Trebling C. Motivations VI. The Distribution of Functions Among Dramatis Personae VII. Ways in Which New Characters Are Introduced into the Course of Action VIII. On the Attributes of Dramatis Personae and their Significance IX. The Tale as a Whole A. The Ways in Which Stories Are Combined B. An Example of Analysis of a Tale C. The Problem of Classification D. On the Relationship of Particular Forms of Structure to the General Pattern E. The Problem of Composition and Theme, and of Themes and Variants F. Conclusion Appendix I. Materials for a Tabulation of the Tale Appendix II. Further Techniques of Analyses Appendix III. Schemes and Commentary Appendix IV. List of Abbreviations Appendix V. Comparative Chart of Tale Numbers

"Morphology will in all probability be regarded by future generations as one of the major theoretical breakthroughs in the field of folklore in the twentieth century." - Alan Dundes "Propp's work is seminal...[and], now that it is available in a new edition, should be even more valuable to folklorists who are directing their attention to the form of the folktale, especially to those structural characteristics which are common to many entries coming from even different cultures." - Choice