Yes it has! Vladimir Propp, a Russian folklorist, studied around a hundred of folk tales and fairy tales and found out that there are 7 character types one would encounter in a story. It turns out the film The West Side Story presented 6 stereotypes from Propp’s model!
· Tony, the hero- Obviously, he is. Tony carries the action of the story from falling in love with Maria, killing her brother, and ultimately dying for due to his love.
· Riff, the donor- If it wasn’t for Riff’s invitation to Tony to the dance, none of the action would have happened. Riff created the opportunity for Tony and Maria’s romance which in turn, sparked the conflict.
· Doc, the helper- Good boy Doc supported his friend’s romantic escapade by giving money to Tony for him to elope successfully with Maria.
· Sharks, the villains- Shark’s animosity with the Jets triggered Bernardo’s hatred on Tony for making his sister fall in love with him.
· Chino, the dispatcher- When their leader had fallen, Chino takes lead for the Sharks to track Tony and avenge their leader’s death.
· Maria, the princess- the girl who met Prince Charming during the dance. Poor Tony fell in love with the enemy’s sister.
It has been enjoyable to notice the stereotyping of characters in musical-turned-films! It makes analyzing a lot simpler for a child to understand.
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