CHARACTER FUNCTIONS AND FUNCTIONAL SCHEMES IN THE

EQUALIZER FILM BASED ON VLADIMIR PROPP’S STRUCTURAL

THEORY

A Thesis

Submitted to Faculty of Adab and Humanities

In Partial to Fulfillment of the Requirements for

The Degree of Strata One (S1)

MUHAMMAD AGUNG WICAKSONO

1112026000070

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH

JAKARTA

2017

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 ABSTRACT

Muhammad Agung Wicaksono, Character Functions and Functional Schemes in

The Equalizer Film Based on Vladimir Propp’s Structural Theory. A Thesis:
English Language and Literature, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, State Islamic
University of Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2017.

This thesis aims to observe the character functions and the functional
schemes as the plot through structural approach in The Equalizer (2014), a film
directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk. By using qualitative
method and descriptive analysis technique, this research explains character
functions on the main characters and functional schemes through Vladimir
Propp’s theory named ―functions‖. Furthermore, to support the analysis, the writer
also uses characterization by Boggs and Petrie.
Based on the research findings, the writer concludes that there are six
character functions out of seven in The Equalizer film; they are the hero, the
dispatcher, the princess, the donor, the helper, and the villain. After that, there are
nineteen out of thirty-one functions that available in the film. The data on this
research shows that the story constructs Robert McCall’s movements as the hero
obviously from the beginning to the last in order to defeat the Russian Mafias, and
then saves Alina as the princess from their threats.
This research figures ―function‖ is an action or event defined from the
point of view of its significance for the course of the action. This is a fundamental
theory in Propp’s system. In practice, this means that ―Function = Action (or
Event) + Position‖ in the sequence. The same actions have different
morphological values depending on its place in the story. As a result, in The
Equalizer film, the six character functions can be applied to the nineteen
functional schemes, which is to define or designate units of meaning as part of the
story process.

Keywords: Character, Propp’s functions, Structural Approach

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that to be the best of my

knowledge and belief. It contains no material previously written or published by

another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the

award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institution of

higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.

Jakarta, August 2016

Muhammad Agung Wicaksono

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

All praises to Allah SWT, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the

Greatest Creator. Alhamdulillah, with His amazing guidance, the writer can

accomplish the process of making this thesis. Shalawat and salam may Allah shed

to our great beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW because he is the real leader for

the whole mankind in the world. Peace and blessing be upon to him, his

companions, and his beloved humanity.

It is a great honour for the writer to make acknowledgment. Therefore, the

writer would like to convey his most gratitude to Akhmad Zakky, M.Hum. for his

valuable advice and guidance to accomplish this thesis.

The writer also would like to say his sincerity of gratitude particularly to:

1. Prof. Dr. Sukron Kamil, M.Ag., the Dean of Adab and Humanities Faculty.

2. Drs. Saefuddin, M.Pd., the Chief of English Language and Literature

Department.

3. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum., the Secretary of English Language and Literature

Department.

4. Maria Ulfa, M.A., M.Hum. and Addy Hasan, M.Hum. as the writer’s thesis

examiners.

5. All lectures of English Language and Literature Department who had taught

and educated the writer during his study.

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6. The writer’s family, especially to his parents, Sunarno and Laminem. They

always give their support, affection, patience, motivation, material, and pray

to the writer.

7. All the writer’s classmates, KKN SHARE 2015, and all of my friends who

have given the meaning of friendship, especially to KAA: Alfan Faisal, Aliza

Cipta Kusuma, Anisha Meydi Sawitri, Deny Gunawan Susandi, Lilik Nur

Cholilah, Mega Silvana, Muyassarah, Naila Kamalia, Padel Muhammad

Rallie R., and Vani Trivianti.

May Allah the Almighty always bless and protect all of us. Amen. Finally,

the writer realises that this thesis still has some weaknesses and mistakes. For that

reason, the writer hopes there is any suggestion and criticism for it.

Jakarta, August 2016

Muhammad Agung Wicaksono

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... i

APPROVAL SHEET .......................................................................................... ii

LEGALIZATION ...............................................................................................iii

DECLARATION ................................................................................................ iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENT .................................................................................... v

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................vii

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................. 1

A. Background of the Research ........................................... 1

B. Focus of the Research ..................................................... 5

C. Questions of the Research ............................................... 5

D. Significance of the Research ........................................ 5

E. Research Methodology ................................................... 5

1. Objective of the Research ........................................... 5

2. Method of the Research ............................................. 6

3. Technique of the Data Analysis ................................. 6

4. Instrument of the Research ......................................... 7

5. Unit of the Analysis .................................................... 7

6. Time and Place of the Research ................................. 7

CHAPTER II. THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK ................................... 8

A. Previous Research .......................................................... 8

B. Film Theory .................................................................... 9

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 C. Characterization Theory ................................................ 10

1. Characterization through Appearance ...................... 10

2. Characterization through Dialogue ........................... 10

3. Characterization through External Action ................ 11

4. Characterization through Internal Action ................. 11

5. Characterization through Reaction of Other Characters

................................................................................... 12

D. Structuralism .................................................................. 12

E. Vladimir Propp’s Theory ............................................... 13

CHAPTER III. RESEARCH FINDING ................................................... 19

A. Character Functions Analysis ........................................ 19

1. The Hero Character ................................................... 20

2. The Dispatcher Character .......................................... 21

3. The Princess Character .............................................. 22

4. The Helper Character.................................................. 23

5. The Donor Character ................................................. 24

6. The Villain Character ................................................ 25

B. Functional Schemes Analysis ........................................ 28

1. Absentation (I) ........................................................... 28

2. Interdiction (II) ........................................................... 30

3. Violation of Interdiction (III) ..................................... 31

4. Mediation (IX) ............................................................ 32

5. Beginning Counter-Action (X) .................................. 33

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 6. Victory (XVIII) .......................................................... 35

7. Reconnaissance (IV) .................................................. 36

8. Delivery (V) ............................................................... 37

9. Trickery (VI) .............................................................. 38

10. Struggle (XVI) .......................................................... 39

11. Branding (XVII) ....................................................... 40

12. Departure (XI) .......................................................... 41

13. First Function of the Donor (XII) ............................. 42

14. Provision (XIV) ........................................................ 44

15. Return (XX) .............................................................. 45

16. Difficult Task (XXV) ............................................... 47

17. Solution (XVI) .......................................................... 48

18. Punishment (XXX) ................................................... 49

19. Wedding (XXXI) ...................................................... 51

CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ........................ 54

A. Conclusions .................................................................... 54

B. Suggestions .................................................................... 55

BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................. 56

APPENDIX ........................................................................................................ 59

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 1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Research

Structural study can be discovered more to the existence of the actors with

involvement in the events. In the structure of narrative, there are some elements;

the elements that support in the analytical structure of narrative in the text are

characters, the backgrounds, and the events. Moreover, Christianson states that the

events will be a plot when the events are organized in a sequence of time (30).

Study on narrative structure has taken as a main inspiration from the research

of folklore and mythology. Nowadays, it includes not only the study of literary

narrative, but also legal discourses, religious, and philosophical among others. In

addition, narrative structures are different from linguistic structures because they

can be revealed by language other than the natural languages (in cinema, visions,

etc) (Greimas 793).

Based on the explanation above, it can be described that literary works

research not only focuses on reading text, but also expanses to the contemporary

things. As a result, the development of literary research is more systematic and

more fundamental. Furthermore, similarly with A.J. Greimas, his predecessor

states:

―Contrary to formalism, structuralism refuses to set the concrete

against the abstract and to ascribe greater significance to the latter.
Form is defined by opposition to content, an entity in its own right,
but structure has no distinct content: it is content itself, and the logical
organization in which it is arrested is conceived as property of the real
(Propp 167)‖.

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Research about literary works, particularly in the film, represents a new field

in literary work research. Moreover, film comes from two elements; those are art

form and industry (Boggs and Petrie 1). Subsequently, it is identified as a

powerful and unique art form on apart with literature, sculpture, drama, painting,

and music. Therefore, it is clear that film is one of a representation of a literary

works because there are some elements of literature within.

One of some elements in film is genre. Genre is a division of art form that has

certain parts. Likewise, in film industry, the usefulness of genre is to give

information about film category that will be released. In addition, film genre can

be divided into some categories; those are Thriller, Noir, Western, Science-

Fiction, Gangster, Musical, Road Movie, Romantic Comedy, Horror, Martial Arts,

and Adaptations of Novels (Stewart and Kowaltzke 273).

Nowadays, the development in film industry grows fast, especially in action

film. The directors and the producers struggle each other in order to their creations

to be interesting. Besides, the producers do not show their creation about

entertainment only, but they also try to give some inspirational scenes on it.

As a narrative story, there is also a structure in film. According to Propp, in

narrative structure, the important thing is not the characters, but the action of the

characters instead, that called as ―functions‖ (Ratna 132). Furthermore, although

Propp’s theory has been increasing interest in attempting structural analysis only

on folklore genre, actually it can be implied to other genres. Consequently,

Propp’s analysis can be useful in analyzing the structure of literary forms (such as

novels and plays), comic strips, motion picture and television plots, and the like.

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Additionally, in understanding the interrelationship between folklore and

literature, the emphasis has been mainly upon content until now. As a result,

Propp’s theory proposes that there can be structural borrowings as well as content

borrowings (Dundes 95). After all, Propp’s theory folklore concludes there are

maximum thirty-one functions, which divide to seven characters; they are the

villain, the donor, the helper, the princess, the dispatcher, the hero, and the false

hero (Ratna 132).

The Equalizer that released in September 2014 is a film, which the genres are

action, thriller, and crime. The story is about Robert McCall, a CIA agent, who

has retired and lives a life in Massachusetts, Boston, far from his old job role that

involves violence and atrocity. Now, he works in a hardware store called Home

Mart. There, he gets pleasure from living a normal life. He is also keen on and

protective about his teenaged friend whom he sees be abused by her pimp. Her

nickname is Teri, but her real name is Alina, and she has a sad story in the past

time. Moreover, she is a victim of sex trafficking by the Russian Mafias at a

young age and obliges her into a life of prostitution. Because of her depressing

life story, McCall decides to help her out after the incident with her pimp, Slavi,

who abandons her poorly beaten, bruised, and battered one night. After that,

McCall enters a restaurant owned by the Russian Mafias and offers to buy Alina’s

freedom, but Slavi refuses it. As a result, McCall subsequently kills Slavi and four

of his men with skilled close combat efficiency. Later, because the incident,

Vladimir Pushkin, the Russian Mafias’ leader, sends his man, Teddy, to find and

execute McCall. Knowing he is pursued by Teddy, McCall visits his old friends,

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the retired couple CIA agent, Susan and Brian Plummer, to ask the information

about Pushkin. After that, he goes to Home Mart because Teddy and his men take

Ralphie, McCall’s close friend, and several co-workers as hostages. Therefore, he

confronts, and then kills Teddy and his men with a nail gun. Finally, to clean up

the Russian Mafias’ activities, he travels to Moscow to deal with Pushkin and kill

him. Afterwards, he comes back to Boston, where he reunites with Alina, who has

recovered from her wounds, has gotten a legal job, and then she thanks him for

giving her a second chance and better life.

To sum up, realising the Propp’s functions, Robert McCall, clearly fulfil the

character role of the Hero and the Villains who are the Russian mafias who

attempt to force Alina to be a teenaged prostitute, then makes her as the Princess

because she is saved by the Hero. Moreover, there are still more characters and

the thirty-one plot advancing functions are present in the film to be find out.

Therefore, based on this problem, the writer analyses the characters’ role in an

action-thriller film, The Equalizer, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Furthermore, on

this film, it is analysed about the division of functions of thirty-one plot from the

main characters relate each other. In addition, Verhaar explains that the role is a

semantic term of verb entries. The element of this role is associated with

grammatical meaning. As a result, it is able to know about the purpose in each

functional part (Putrayasa 91). For that reason, it is clear that every character has

the important part to establish a story. Moreover, it can be defined from point of

view of its importance for the course of the action.

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B. Focus of the Research

This research focuses on analysis of the character functions and functional

schemes in The Equalizer film. Indeed, every main character and the sequence of

the events can determine a story based on Vladimir Propp’s theory called

―functions‖.

C. Questions of the Research

According to the background of the research, the writer formulates the

problem in these questions:

1. How are the character functions in The Equalizer film depicted?

2. How are the functional schemes in The Equalizer film?

D. Significance of the Research

The result of this research is expected to assistance the readers who are

interested in literary and film studies; as reference in which apply theory of the

functional schemes in the main characters and the plot on film analysis.

Furthermore, the readers are expected to open their mind to improve the

knowledge about structural analysis, especially Vladimir Propp’s theory called

―functions‖.

E. Research Methodology

1. Objective of the Research

Based on the research questions before, then the purposes of this study

are:

1. To describe the main characters that portrayed in The Equalizer film

through character functions of Vladimir Propp’s theory.

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2. To know the functional schemes in The Equalizer film through thirty-

one functions of Vladimir Propp’s theory.

2. Method of the Research

This research uses qualitative research method. Qualitative research

method is a method of research that has a purpose to recognize the

phenomenon that is experienced by the subject of the research, such as

behaviour, awareness, motivation, achievement, etc. The research is

holistically made using an explanation in the form of words and language at

the specific natural perspective, also using naturalistic approaches (Moleong

6).

3. Technique of the Data Analysis

The data analysis technique, which applied in this analysis, is descriptive

analysis technique. Descriptive analysis technique organized by describing

and explaining the facts founded, then analyzing it to result logical

conclusion. The data analysis in this research follows certain steps. Firstly,

the writer watches The Equalizer film closely, and then categorizes the script

and scenes explanation, that is the characters through a structure of

monologue, dialogue, and scenes. Secondly, the writer identifies the main

characters based on the data (the story which presented by The Equalizer

film) to expand comprehensive understanding about the characters’ role

through seven broad character functions by Vladimir Propp’s theory and

characterization theory by Boggs and Petrie. Thirdly, the writer analyses the

sequence of the events that happens in the film to understand about the plot

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through thirty-one functions by Vladimir Propp’s theory. The last, after the

writer finds the characters’ role and the plot in the film, the writer concludes

it to know how they can relate each other and make the story become

functional schemes.

4. Instrument of the Research

A research instrument is a tool that used to gather the data and to

determine knowledge attitude and skills (Parahoo 52). Therefore, this

research uses the writer’s critical thinking in order to analyse the issue, collect

the data, and answer the research questions.

5. Unit of the Analysis

The writer uses the soft copy version of The Equalizer film as the unit of

analysis of this research. The Equalizer is an action-thriller film produced by

Village Roadshow Pictures and Escape Artist, directed by Antoine Fuqua and

written by Richard Wenk (IMDb). It is the first film that has Village

Roadshow Pictures co-finance the deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The film has its world premiere at 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

on 7 September and is released worldwide on 26 September 2014. As a result,

the film obtains diverse positive reviews from critics and earns a worldwide

box office gross over $192 million.

6. Time and Place of the Research

This research begins on March 2016 and is conducted at the Faculty of

Adab and Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta.

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CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Previous Research

According to the previous research, which is done before the writer starts to

analyse The Equalizer film, the writer finds a journal about Vladimir Propp in

Hollywood written by John L. Fell at University of California in 1977. Fell

focused on three films, they are Underworld, To Have and Have Not, and Rio

Bravo. He only explains about the character functions that occur in the action of

the films. Moreover, he finds that there are four out of seven characters functions;

they are the hero, the princess, the helper, and the villain. Therefore, he does not

explain about the functional schemes as thirty-one functions in these three films,

which is in the part of Vladimir Propp’s theory.

Based on the previous research, the writer describes theories that used in

order to obtain the data, analyse the data and answer the research questions; How

are the character functions in The Equalizer film depicted? and How are the

functional schemes in The Equalizer film?. To answer the research questions, the

writer utilises Vladimir Propp’s theory called ―functions‖ to analyse the character

functions and functional schemes. Furthermore, the writer also uses

characterization theory by Boggs and Petrie to support the analysis. Indeed, the

research findings in the third chapter can lead this research into definite and logic

conclusion.

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B. Film Theory

Film is an audiovisual conflict; it embodies time-space connections; it

continues from an argument, through a progression, to a climax or crucial term of

the action (Dick 2). Moreover, it has material goods that set it separately from

novels, plays, painting, and sculpture. It is also, in its most popular and influential

figure, a story telling medium that shares many components with the short story

and the novel (Boggs and Petrie 41). However, because film presents its stories in

theatrical appearance, it has even more in common with the stage play. Both plays

and movies act out or dramatize, show rather than tell about what happens.

Moreover, the images themselves can tell part of the story, independently of

language, that is the reason some of the most unforgettable moments in film are

wordless (Dick 3). Therefore, for film, it depends on significantly on visual and

other nonverbal elements that are not simply expressed in writing.

Talking about structuralism aspect on film, perhaps it is one of the reasons

that there are many theorists about narrative structure in it. One of the theorist is

Vladimir Propp. He discovers that they all have the same basic narrative, thus

there is a basic order of signs or syntagm which can be identified (Butler 63).

Moreover, it is important to make a difference between story and plot because the

story is the sequence of events that happen to a number of characters in

chronological order and the story is the order in which these are revealed to the

audience, with some events being left to be inferred rather than being portrayed on

screen.

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C. Characterization Theory

Characterization is the represents by which authors present and expose a

character, and then the technique of characterization is narrative explanation with

clear conclusion (Henderson 55). Moreover, in Boggs and Petrie’s book, they

describe that characterization can involve eight features. Nevertheless in this

research, the writer only uses five of them, those are appearance, dialogue,

external action, internal action, and reaction of other characters (Boggs and Petrie

59).

1. Characterization through Appearance

This method of characterization is to know how the actor’s look and what

type of clothes he or she wear in the film. In addition, this method can be

presented with one of mise-en-scene and it uses to organize everything in the

film in order that it creates momentous frames or shot. Besides, the features

of mise-en-scene are costume, make-up, lighting, colour, background, the

performance of figures, and facial mimic. Moreover, the earliest visual

impression may be established mistaken as the story steps forward, but it is

definitely a crucial means of creating character (Boggs and Petrie 60).

2. Characterization through Dialogue

The characters can interpret themselves by their actions and the way they

talk in the film. Moreover, there are some elements to support the

characterization by the dialogue, such as outlooks, the tone, emotions, the

word choices, the stress of voices express their thoughts, the used of

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grammar, vocabulary, composition of sentence, and educational background

(Boggs and Petrie 62).

3. Characterization through External Action

The implements of establishing the plot are the characters in the film

because they have main reason in the story, thus they can do the whole thing

to accomplish it. In short, these actions are called ―motives‖ that can inform

their personalities. At certain times, the most successful characterization is

accomplished not by the great actions but by the minor ones that looks

unimportant. Therefore, it should be a reasonable connection between a

character and his or her actions because the actions should develop logically

from the character’s personality. In other words, it indicates that the

personalities can choose how the character continues to achieve their purpose

(Boggs and Petrie 62).

4. Characterization through Internal Action

Internal action appears from the character’s emotion and mind, which

control memories, fantasies, secrets, daydreams, desires, and unsaid thought.

Moreover, all of them come out in the film visually, thus the director can

demonstrate the character’s thoughts or imagination by method of shot. After

that, the filmmaker operates the shot of close-up on an uncommonly sensitive

and meaningful expression to demonstrate the inner action of character. In

summary, this method is named by distance camera (Boggs and Petrie 62).

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5. Characterization through Reaction of Other Characters

By the point of view by others characters, it can be recognized about the

characterization of the character that want to be observed. Nevertheless, when

the film begins, occasionally other characters have already exposed a

character’s information before he or she appears on the scene (Boggs and

Petrie 64).

D. Structuralism

Structuralism is a method that uses in the humanities to analyse a particular

field (for example mythology) as a complicated structure of interrelated.

Furthermore, in French, structuralism is an intellectual movement that begins in

the 1950s, and then the work of Claude Levi-Strauss and the literary critic Roland

Barthes appear in it (Eagleton 90). In addition, Ferdinand de Saussure is

considered as the early twentieth century revolutionised of this stream, although

there are many other French thinkers who considered giving a bigger influence

(Bertens 43). After that, this stream is also useful in other fields, like architecture,

anthropology, sociology, psychology, psychoanalysis, and literary theory. As a

result, it formulates that structuralism not only as a scheme, but also as an

intellectual movement that appeared to seize the base of existentialism in France

in the 1960s. Moreover, Todorov describes that structuralism does not cope with

the literary text as it presents itself to the reader, but rather with a conceptual deep

structure (Herman and Vervack 41).

Furthermore, Ferdinand de Saussure who pioneers a number or further

important and fundamental insight of the linguistic theory known as structuralism,

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he also expands a theory of language that observes it as a structured method of

meaning, regulations, and aspects generally considered. Therefore, it is a method

of analyzing phenomena in a structure of binary resistance. Besides, after

Ferdinand de Saussure, the theory developes into some observations with

numerous observers, for example Vladimir Propp, Claude Levi-Strauss, A.J.

Greimas, and so forth. They explore literary work using structural theory.

However, they have different analysis from each other, such as ―Structuralism of

Vladimir Propp analyses functions of several characters at the Russian folktales

and fairytales‖, followed by ―Claude Levi-Strauss in seeking out fundamental

elements in stories and myths‖ (Berthens 48).

E. Vladimir Propp’s Theory

Vladimir Propp is a Russian structuralist who explores the main plot elements

of Russian folktales in order to categorise their simplest irreducible narrative

components (Berthens 29). Moreover, because his research on fairy tales, he

accomplished world appreciation as the first relevance of structuralism to the

humanist science and produced the establishment for new fields, for example

structural anthropology and narratology (Schmidtz 44). In addition, he is known

as an originator of structuralism theory, which has developed into a major method

of the humanist science in twentieth century (Berthens 31).

Furthermore, Propp based his study on the collection includes over six

hundred folktales of Aleksandr N. Afanasev’s classic collection Russian Folktales

(1855-1864), of which Propp utilised as his corpus numbers 50-151.

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Consequently, Propp’s structural representation is based on the following criteria

(Aguirre 2-3):

1. All fairytales are constructed on the basis of one single sequence of actions or

events called ―functions‖.

2. Function is momentous action or event described according to its place in the

plot.

3. Function─not theme, motif, character, plot or motivation─is the basic unit of

analysis.

4. Functions are independent of how and by whom they are fulfilled; from the

position of structural analysis, not achievers; their scheme; their motivations

or their psychology, but the action itself alone matters.

5. The number of functions available to fairytale-tellers is thirty-one.

6. With (modifiable) exceptions, functions always follow a severe order.

7. Tales are organized into sequences; each sequence is composed of a variety

of functions in the correct chronological order and represents a narrative

chapter.

8. Each function is susceptible of realisation by different means. In addition,

Propp suggests lists of the ―function forms‖ that emerge in his corpus (but

warns that others are possible).

9. Only seven characters are available to fairytale-tellers: hero, false hero,

villain, donor, helper, dispatcher, princess and/or her father.

10. All fairytales are created of the same functions, though not every function

appears in every tale.

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11. All fairytales divide the same basic structure.

From the explanation above, it is clear that the standard arrangement of the

system starts with a list of the thirty-one functions and there are seven characters

appear in the story. Additionally, by presenting things in this way, Propp makes

his folktales as systems in which the functions that he analyses have a detailed

place. In addition, seven spheres of actions are (Propp 79):

1. The hero; in every story there is a main character with whom the reader

normally associates the most strongly and who is the key person around

which the story is told.

2. The helper; the hero is supported in his or her mission by a helper, often wise

old man or magician, who appears at crucial moment to provide a support.

3. The villain; the sharpest contrast against the hero is the villain, who fights

directly against the hero.

4. The false hero; a variant on the villain and a potential obstacle within the plot

is the false hero, who appears to act bravely and may even be initially

mistaken for the real hero.

5. The donor is a character who gives the hero a special stuff, such as a magical

weapon or some particular knowledge.

6. The dispatcher is an early role in the story that sends the hero to a mission.

7. The princess; she maybe the object that is deliberately sought by the hero, or

she may be the reward after the hero completing the mission.

Moreover, these spheres of action can be distributed among the characters of

a tale in any of the following three methods (Propp 80):

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1. The sphere of action communicates accurately to the character related with it.

2. One character can be involved in several spheres of action (for example: a

character that acts in two compatible roles such as donor and helper, or a

character that acts in contradictory roles, such as a witch that helps the hero

involuntarily or acts as an antagonistic donor).

3. A single sphere of action is divided among several characters (for example: a

family or relates may act on a character’s behalf, or a function is shared by

two characters such as the princess and her father).

After that, this following is Propp’s thirty-one functions method as the

sequence of events or the plot in every story (Aguire 4).

1. Absentation: one of the family members leaves home.

2. Interdiction: an interdiction is addressed to the hero.

3. Violated: the interdiction is violated.

4. Reconnaissance: the villain makes an effort at reconnaissance.

5. Delivery: the villain obtains information about his victim.

6. Trickery: the villain attempts to deceive hero.

7. Complicity: the hero submits to deception.

8. Villainy and lack: the villain threats or harms someone important to the hero,

or something else that affects others is suddenly missing.

9. Mediation: misfortune or lack is made known to the hero.

10. Beginning counteraction: the hero agrees to or decides upon counteraction.

11. Departure: the hero leaves home.

12. First function of donor: the hero is tested or questioned.

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13. The hero’s reaction: the hero responds to the actions of the future donor.

14. Provision of magical agent: the hero receives a magical agent/object.

15. Guidance: the hero is led to the whereabouts of an object of search.

16. Struggle: the hero and the villain join in direct combat.

17. Branding: the hero is branded or marked.

18. Victory: the villain is defeated.

19. Liquidation of lack: the initial misfortune or lack is liquidated.

20. Return: the hero returns to face the villain.

21. Pursuit: the hero is pursued by the villain.

22. Rescue: saving the hero from pursuing antagonist.

23. Unrecognised arrival: unrecognized, the hero arrives home or in another

country.

24. Unfounded claims: a false hero claims to be true hero.

25. Difficult task: a difficult task is proposed to the hero.

26. Solution: a task is resolved.

27. Recognition: the hero is recognised.

28. Exposure: the false hero or villain is exposed.

29. Transfiguration: the hero is given a new appearance.

30. Punishment: the villain is punished.

31. Wedding: the hero is married and ascends the throne.

Moreover, Propp himself does not claim universality of his Morphology ―for

the tale as a whole‖, stating in his introduction a scale of accuracy in his

morphological observations for ―so-called fairy tales‖ only (25). Despite a variety

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of criticisms and doubts, the influence of Propp’s morphology has been

reappraised at different times. Furthermore, there is no problem if the thirty-one

functions do not appear completely and not in chronological order, thus the

storyline keeps in the correct way. Nevertheless, the universality of the

morphology has been the topic of various challenges and examinations.

As a result, Propp’s morphology can be discovered in relation to the verbal

communication of cinema and television, mainly the process of emplotment (the

arrangement of actions and events with reference to Propp’s functions). In

addition, it is also helpful as an illustration of concept because it is an implement

in reduction of folktales in an attempt to formulate basic structural features

obviously.

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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH FINDING

The writer divides this chapter into two parts. On the first part, the writer

analyses the characters that can be resolved into seven broad character functions

in The Equalizer film. The seven characters, developed by Vladimir Propp, allow

us to break an action down into: first, the villain is someone who struggles against

the hero; second, the dispatcher is someone who makes the lack known and sends

the hero off; third, the helper is someone who helps the hero in their mission;

fourth, the princess is a character whom the hero deserves her all over the story,

but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because the villain;

fifth, the donor is someone who organizes the hero or gives the hero some magical

objects; sixth, the hero is a character that reacts to the donor, weds the princess;

seventh, the false hero is someone who takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries

to marry the princess. In order to understand the seven characters as the main

characters, techniques of characterization are used. The techniques that are used

are appearance, dialogue, external action, internal action, and reaction of other

characters (Boggs and Petrie 59). After that, the writer analyses the sequence of

events as functional schemes that happens in the film based on structural of

narrative theory of Vladimir Propp called thirty-one functions.

A. Character Functions Analysis

Character functions are a method that can be theoretically be used to analyse

any real or imaginary action may be portrayed by at least one character, but

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mostly those portrayed in literary text. Furthermore, in the structural of narrative,

there are as many models as there are actions; for example, the similar action can

frequently be observed from some different perspectives. According to Propp

(24), ―functions of characters serve as stable, constant elements in a tale,

independent of how and by whom they are fulfilled. They constitute the

fundamental components of a tale‖.

From the statement above, the sequence of character functions described by

him is supposed to apply to all stories of the category explained. After that, any

story contains character functions from this sequence appearing in the given

command. As a result, the writer analyses and then categorises all of the main

characters to character functions through their actions as to be portrayed from The

Equalizer film.

1. The Hero Character

According to Vladimir Propp’s theory in structuralism, the hero is a character

who has the power to fulfil the mission in the story. The power, generally, is a

fight-skill. He or she also determines the dispatcher. Moreover, the hero or

someone who has a mission in the film is Robert McCall. He is a CIA agent who

is retired and fakes his death in order to live a normal life in Massachusetts,

Boston, far from his old job role that involves killing and violence. After that, he

meets a Russian girl named Alina (also known as Teri) at the restaurant. There,

they become friends and often talk about their own lives. Actually, Alina is a

victim of sex trafficking by the Russian Mafias and is forced into a life of

prostitution. One night, Robert sees her being mistreated by her pimp named Slavi

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and the next day he knows that Slavi leaves her badly battered, bruised, and

beaten. As the consequence, she must be recovered at the hospital.

Picture 1 (00:32:53)

Based on Boggs and Petrie, the real characters are more than mere

instruments of the plot, that they do what they do for a purpose, out of motives

that are consistent with their overall personality (62). The picture above is an

image of Robert McCall who fights with one of Slavi’s men. His action to his

enemies shows that he has fighting skills as a former CIA agent. As a result, in the

picture, McCall’s action indicates his character as the hero whose purpose is to

release Alina as of her dirty profession from the Russian Mafias’ threat with his

power, so she can get her normal life again as a normal teenager.

2. The Dispatcher Character

The next character is the dispatcher. Vladimir Propp states that the dispatcher

is a character who sends the hero off. Therefore, the hero knows what to do and

assumes that has become his duty to fulfil the mission. The dispatcher of the film

is Mandy. She is Alina’s close friend who knows about her whole life.

When Robert McCall comes to the hospital to check Alina’s horrific

condition, he sees a woman who looks desperate standing in the waiting room.

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Actually, she is Mandy who is worried about Alina’s condition. After that,

McCall tries to ask her about what really happens to Alina. Initially, she is afraid

to tell him about it, but eventually she tells it completely that a person who has to

blame is Slavi.

Picture 2 (00:24:00)

As explained by Boggs and Petrie, the characters’ true thoughts, attitudes, and

emotions can be revealed in subtle ways through word choice and through the

stress, pitch, and pause patterns of their speech (61). The picture above shows that

Mandy talks to McCall about Alina’s condition. Because Mandy’s emotions

through the conversation, it shows that she cares about Alina’s life and she does

not want her to get some injuries by the Russian Mafias. As a result, it makes

McCall─as the hero─can determine to take the next step to fulfil his mission. The

step is to look for Slavi and all of the people behind it, so he can revenge them

because their mistreatments which they have done to Alina.

3. The Princess Character

The next character is the princess. According to Vladimir Propp, the princess

is a sought-after-person who works as a goal for the hero and later punishes the

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villain. The princess of the film is Alina (also known as Teri). She is a teenaged

prostitute for the Russian Mafias and she has a bit of a miserable back-story.

Picture 3 (00:15:30)

The picture above reveals that Alina meets Robert McCall at the restaurant

where she often spends it for dinner, and then she befriends him because they like

to talk each other about their own lives. Afterwards in the next night, she is

brutally beaten by Slavi because she makes her ―client‖ feeling dissatisfied by her

―service‖. Because of this matter, she must be hospitalized. According to Boggs

and Petrie, visual impression that a film is portrayed has a huge effect on the story

progresses (60). Consequently, from Alina’s incident, it indicates that she is the

princess of the film because her role makes McCall─as the hero─deciding to get

her freedom back from the Russian Mafias, and then to punish them.

4. The Helper Character

The next character is the helper. Vladimir Propp declares that the helper is a

character who helps the hero to achieve his mission. The helper of the film is

Ralphie. He is McCall’s best friend who works as a new security guard at Home

Mart, under his guidance.

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Picture 4 (01:47:05)

The reaction from other characters helps to reveal that there is kindness in

Ralphie. This technique can reveal Ralphie’s character because the way other

characters view a character often serves most adequate meaning of a character

(Boggs and Petrie 64). Furthermore, he helps McCall when Teddy and his men go

to Home Mart, intimidating to kill the hostages if McCall does not surrender.

After that, McCall comes into the store, disables most of the lighting, and tells

Ralphie to get the hostages to safety that shown in the picture above.

5. The Donor Character

The next character is the donor. Vladimir Propp explains that the donor is a

character who organises the hero or gives the hero some magical or useful objects.

The donors of the film are Brian Plummer and Susan Plummer. They are

McCall’s old friends from CIA. McCall visits them to ask a favour in order to

know about the leader of Russian Mafias, Vladimir Pushkin, and all of their

activities.

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Picture 5 (01:14:45)

From the picture above, it reveals that McCall has lunch with Susan and

Brian Plummer as a part of his visit to ask a favour. Moreover, the response from

McCall helps to show that there is sympathy in Susan and Brian Plummer. This

technique can reveal the Plummers’ character because the way another character

view the characters often serves most adequate meaning of characters (Boggs and

Petrie 64). Furthermore, because of McCall’s visit, they eventually give him some

documents, which contain the information about several members of the Russian

Mafia. Consequently, the document indicates that it is a helpful object in order to

McCall─as the hero─knows the details of the Russian Mafia, and then he

manages a plan to attack them, thus he can make a freedom for Alina.

6. The Villain Character

The last character is the villain. According to Vladimir Propp, the villain is a

character that the task is to fight against the hero. Moreover, by anything it takes,

they attempt to make the hero fails in his mission. There are three characters as

villain in The Equalizer film; they are Slavi, Teddy, and Vladimir Pushkin.

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Picture 6 (00:27:06) Picture 7 (00:47:58)

Picture 8 (2:01:33)

According to Boggs and Petrie, the minute when most actors appear on the

screen, it can make certain assumptions about them because of their facial

features, dress, physical build, and gestures and the way they move (60).

Therefore, from picture 6, the writer analyses that Slavi’s dress and his gesture

can show him as a bad character because he acts impolitely to McCall when

McCall visits to his private room. Furthermore, he is one of the Russian Mafias’

member as well as a pimp and he forces Alina (also known as Teri) into a life of

prostitution and he is the man who makes her get a bad condition, thus she must

be hospitalized. Moreover, picture 7 and picture 8, the writer analyses that from

Teddy and Pushkin’s physical build, it indicates that they are other villain

characters in the film because their tattoos reveal their appearance as the Russian

Mafias. In addition, Teddy Rensen (also known as Nicolai Itchenko), he is the

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man that gets an order from Vladimir Pushkin to go to Boston in order to find and

execute Robert McCall (because he has killed Slavi). The last is Vladimir

Pushkin, he is the leader of Russian Mafias who lives in Moscow and the man

who sends Teddy to eliminate McCall because McCall has made a mess to his

business empire. As a result, their actions as well in the film show that they have

roles to fight against McCall─as the hero─and attempt to make him fails to

complete his mission, which is to save Alina from their threats.

After the writer explains the character functions above, the result is the

character functions in The Equalizer film can be applied to the structural features

identified in Propp’s theory; the characters proceed with a clear analysis of the

hero as a central character and the villains as antagonist. Nevertheless, the

character functions in the film are only six out of seven; they are the hero, the

dispatcher, the princess, the helper, the donor, and the villain. Therefore,

according to Propp, it is not a problem if not all character functions contain in the

story.

Based on all of characters that occur in the film, the writer concludes that they

relate each other to give an explanation that Robert McCall is a character as the

hero which his mission to help a young girl named Alina─as the prince─from the

Russian Mafias’ menace. He knows it after he meets Mandy─as the dispatcher─at

the hospital and she tells him everything about the incident that happens to Alina.

Furthermore, he asks for help to his old friends who also a couple named Susan

and Brian Plummer─as the donors─about the Russian Mafias’ secret information.

After that, Ralphie─as the helper─appears to contribute in helping McCall to

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eliminate Teddy─as the villain─at Home Mart. In the end, McCall can beat all of

the Russian Mafias, including Pushkin as the leader. Consequently, Propp’s list of

character functions in The Equalizer film is mainly defined in terms of their

helping or hindering the hero at the centre of the story. Protagonist–antagonist is

one of a number of binary oppositions intrinsic to Propp’s scheme. The ascribing

of positive or negative values to each character is fundamental to their

roles/function.

B. Functional Schemes Analysis

In this part, the writer analyses the functional schemes using thirty-one

functions by Vladimir Propp’s theory to know how the sequence of events

happens in The Equalizer film. To answer the question, the writer needs to know

how every character relates each other to the process of emplotment—the

arrangement of actions and events with reference to Propp’s functions.

1. Absentation (I)

Absentation is one of the members of family absents him/herself from home

(Propp 26). Furthermore, it means that someone who absents can be a spouse,

member of the older generation, the death of parents, or a member of the younger

generation. This division of the interrelated family injects initial tension into the

storyline, and then the hero may be introduced here, often being shown as an

ordinary person.

In the beginning story, Robert McCall portrays as a lonely person because he

always does all of his activities at his house by himself and there is none of his

family appears to interact with there. However, he often comes to the restaurant

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every night to order a cup of tea while he reads a book. One night, he meets a girl

named Alina whose job as a teenaged prostitute, and then they become friends,

thus they feel comfortable to tell their own lives. Moreover, because of their

conversations, McCall eventually reveals that his wife is gone.

Picture 9 (00:02:12) Picture 10 (00:02:25)

Picture 9 and picture 10 are scenes in the beginning of the film that indicate

the loneliness of McCall at his house because he lives alone. Furthermore, the

evidence that illustrates the hero’s family absentation is from his chat with Alina.

Alina : There is no ring. On your wedding finger, there’s no ring.

McCall : No.
Alina : No Mrs. Robert at home?
McCall : No.
Alina : Was there ever?
McCall : Once.
Alina : Did you break her heart?
McCall : She broke mine.
(00:17:07 - 00:17:25)

In the conversation above, it shows that Alina wonders about McCall’s

appearance. She observes that McCall should have a wedding ring on his finger;

but in fact, there is not. After that, he explains the reason about his wife who

leaves him alone at home impliedly. Therefore, the absentation of McCall’s wife

is the beginning of his introduction to the storyline and the reason why he cares to

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Alina who is forced to be a teenaged prostitute because he can feel Alina’s

emotion as she lives alone in the city.

2. Interdiction (II)

Interdiction is the hero gets a confrontation or warning which ups the

dramatic tension and increases the risk (Propp 26). Moreover, it means an inverted

form of interdiction is represented by an order or suggestion. As a result, the hero

begins to know about the conflict that happens in the story.

In the interdiction, Robert McCall and Alina go for walk together in the street

while they talk about a situation when night comes. Suddenly, Slavi with his men

find Alina by a car, and then he slaps her face because he gets a complaint from

her last ―customer‖ about her bad ―service‖. Therefore, he forces her to get in the

car rudely. Because of the incident, McCall thinks there is something bad will

happen to her.

Picture 11 (00:20:05) Picture 12 (00:20:09)

Picture 13 (00:20:28)

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Picture 11 reveals that Alina gets a threat from Slavi and picture 12 shows

Alina attempts to look fine in front of McCall. As a result, from both pictures,

they are clearly an interdiction because when Alina gets a mistreatment from Slavi

then McCall wants to help her, she suggests him to do nothing instead. It shows

impliedly when she says, “It’s all right, Robert”. In addition, she acts like that

because she does not want McCall to get a mistreatment either from Slavi, thus

McCall decides to stay calm. After that, Slavi gives him a card because he thinks

McCall is one of her ―customer‖ which is shown on picture 13. Consequently, the

interdiction that occurs to Alina, it makes the dramatic tension in the storyline as

the McCall’s reason to get more information about incident that happens between

her and Slavi, thus he can help her carefully.

3. Violation of Interdiction (III)

Propp states that the forms of violation correspond to the forms of

interdiction. Furthermore, function II and III shape a paired component. After

that, at this point a new personage, who can be named the villain, enters the story.

His or her task is to cause some form of trouble, injure, or harm (27). In addition,

this division generally proves to be a terrible move, even though not essentially

confronting the hero. It can be the villain is just a lurking presence or attack

family or friend while the hero is away.

Picture 14 (00:21:57) Picture 15 (00:22:25)

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Picture 16 (00:22:45)

In this part, the violation is known when Robert McCall wonders why Alina

does not come to the restaurant for dinner as usual. Afterwards, he asks to the

steward about it, and then the answer is Alina is hospitalised because the terrible

incident which is shown on picture 14. As a result, McCall decides to come to the

hospital in order to check the valid situation.

From picture 15 and picture 16 above, they inform about the violation that

occurs to Alina. Moreover, the writer analyses that Alina’s teribble condition is

caused by the villain who interdicts her before because the steward who tells

Robert McCall about it saying, “I heard she’s at the ICU at Shawmuts. Someone

beat her up real good”. However, the villain is still unknown, he just leaves a hint

as a threat. As a result, the violation to Alina is a shocking move who is proven by

the villain to enter the story, although he is not necessarily confronting the hero.

4. Mediation (IX)

The next scheme is mediation. It is the ninth function of Propp. He explains

that mediation is the hero finds out on his own or is sometimes informed of the

―lack‖ by a special-purposes character called the dispatcher, who demands or

makes the hero to feel obligated to help. Moreover, this function brings the hero

into the story (Propp 36).

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The mediation happens when Robert McCall comes to the hospital to make

sure about Alina’s terrible incident. There, he sees a woman who accompanies

Alina at the ICU. After that, while McCall is waiting at the sitting area, the

woman appears. Therefore, he tries to ask her─who looks afraid at first─about

Alina’s recent condition. At last, when McCall introduces himself as Alina’s

friend, she reveals the truth behind the incident.

McCall : How's she doing? Alina. How's she doing?

Mandy : Who are you?
McCall : Just a friend.
Mandy : A guy hit her and she hit him back. A guy called slavi. So Slavi made example
of her. They do that. They burned one girl's face with battery acid. Keep her
around as a reminder for the rest of us. They brought Teri (Alina) over very
young. Think she got to the point where... she thought her life could be hers
one day. Slavi reminded her it never would be. He said he'd cut her throat next
time. He said a whore who fucks and can't talk might be worth twice as much.
(00:23:36 - 00:24:45)

From the conversation between the woman─whose name is Mandy─and

McCall at the hospital, he can get the complete information about the incident that

occurs to Alina. Evidently, from her explanations, it is Slavi─the man who has

ever been seen by McCall earlier and is known as one of the Russian Mafias’

member, who executes it to make Alina injured. Consequently, from Mandy’s

description─as the dispatcher─, it makes McCall as the hero to discover the acts

of villainy or lack, thus he can help Alina from their threats.

5. Beginning Counter-Action (X)

Beginning counter-action is the hero agrees to or decides upon counter-action

(Propp 38). Moreover, he decides to do something in a way that will resolve the

lack, for example rescuing those who are detained or otherwise beating the villain.

This is an important moment for the hero as this is the choice that sets the course

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of future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the function

of heroism.

The beginning counter-action occurs after Robert McCall gets information

from Mandy. Consequently, he decides to meet Slavi at his private room to make

an agreement with him. The agreement is he offers Slavi $9,800 to get Alina’s

freedom. Unfortunately, Slavi refuses it.

Slavi : You lost, dedushka? How the fuck did he get up here?
Slavi’s Man : I don't know. Should I get rid of him?
Slavi : No.
McCall : I'm here for that girl. You gave me that a couple of nights ago.
Slavi : We give out lots of cards. You still can get it up, dedushka?
McCall : I'm here about a certain girl. She got beat up pretty bad.
Slavi : I'm thinking that maybe you have wrong address, dedushka. This girl,
she have name?
McCall : Her name's Alina.
Slavi : Alina? No, it doesn't ring a bell. But whoever she is, I'm sure she must
know how to suck the cock.
McCall : Okay. Look, I understand. These girls that you... that you represent. I
understand it's like they're an investment, so... I can give you $9800.
It's cash.
Slavi : You're wanting to give me $9000?
McCall : Ninety-eight hundred. Cash.
Slavi : For what?
McCall : Her freedom.
Slavi : Can you believe this guy? This guy gonna give me $9000 for one
single piece of pussy. Must be Ferrari pussy. You fucking Americans
think you can come into my place... and buy whatever you want.
Beautiful Russian girls, no problem, just throw down this bullshit
money. You fucking insult me... I'm just fucking with you, man. But
you got very big balls coming in here. I like that. So... $9000 for the
troublemaker. One month. That's it. You think this is one-time
payment? I make this off this girl in two weeks. That girl is still child.
I still can sell her as virgin. This makes prime earner for good while.
Take your fucking money and go back to your house and jerk off 9800
times. Then come crawling back here and talk to me. She'll be used up
by then for sure. Maybe then I will let you have her for nothing.
(00:27:12 - 00:30:31)

The negotiation between McCall and Slavi goes worse because Slavi thinks

that his offer does not worth it and then he only offers Alina’s freedom for one

month, not for good. After that, from his statement “...Take your fucking money

and go back to your house and jerk off 9,800 times.”, it makes the tension raising

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between him and McCall. Therefore, the writer analyses that from McCall’s

action to Slavi as he tries to get Alina’s freedom is the counter-action to defeat the

villain. Furthermore, it is a moment for McCall─as the hero─as his decision that

sets the choice of future actions.

6. Victory (XVIII)

Propp declares that victory is the hero beats the villain, but his victory may

only be momentary and actually reinforce the antagonist (48). It is the eighteenth

function. Moreover, it is also encountered in a negative form.

Picture 17 (00:30:22) Picture 18 (00:32:35)

Picture 19 (00:34:06)

In the film, the victory happens when Robert McCall defeats Slavi and his

men in his private room. The reason is the negotiation between both of them to

make Alina’s freedom goes worse because Slavi refuses McCall’s offer which is

shown on picture 17. Moreover, picture 18 reveals that knowing that the simple

way does not go well, thus McCall eventually uses a serious way to deal with him.

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However, before he fights with Slavi and his men, he observes the surrounding to

make sure that it is acceptable to perform it. Consequently, the writer examines

that the fighting between McCall and Slavi is the victory in the film because Slavi

is killed in the battle which is shown on picture 19. In addition, the McCall’s

victory is only the beginning because there are still other villains that he will fight

to. Nevertheless, the hero and the villains’ appearances become clearer in the

story because of the hero’s victory.

7. Reconnaissance (IV)

The next scheme is reconnaissance. It is the fourth function by Vladimir

Propp. He states that it occurs when the villain makes an attempt to know where

the valuable object is located (Propp 29). Furthermore, the villain (regularly in

disguise) makes an active effort at searching for information, for example seeking

something precious or trying to detain someone aggressively. After that, he may

speak with a member of the family or friend who unknowingly reveals

information and look for to meet the hero, possibly recognizing by now the hero is

extraordinary in some way.

The reconnaissance happens after Slavi’s death. There is another villain who

appears in the story. He is Teddy Rensen, one of the Russian Mafias’ members as

well. He is sent to Boston by his boss to get information about a mysterious man

who has murdered Slavi and his men, and then get revenge to the accused.

Therefore, he meets Mandy to ask her some questions about the incident.

Teddy : Was there anything unusually strange about Slavi before he was murdered?
Did he mention a name perhaps? Agitated about something?
Mandy : Slavi never did his business in front of the girls. Tevi handled us.
Teddy : We can't locate one of the other girls from Slavi's stable. Teri. You know her?
Mandy : No.

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Teddy : Where we might find her?

Mandy : No. Sorry. I didn't know her that well.
(00:46:32 - 00:47:05)

From the conversation above, it indicates that Teddy attempts to obtain some

information from Mandy aggressively. Unfortunately, she does not want to reveal

it because the possibilities of something will get worse towards Alina. Therefore,

this part brings the villain to make another cruel action to the hero.

8. Delivery (V)

Delivery occurs when the villain obtains useful information (Propp 30). In

addition, the villain’s seeking now pays off and he now acquires some form of

information, often about the hero. After that, other information can be added, for

example about target location.

In the film, the delivery happens when Teddy keeps trying to get infomation

from Mandy. He asks her about a man she may know who relates about Slavi’s

murderer. Moreover, because she feels cornered by his pressure, at last she reveals

some information about the man who is accused as a suspect.

Teddy : All the other girls have... claimed that you were very close to Teri. You lied to
me about that. ...When did you last talk to her?
Mandy : Over a week ago. I went to the hospital. I saw her there.
Teddy : Did anyone else visit her?
Mandy : Yes. A man.
Teddy : A man? Customer?
Mandy : No. A nice man. A black man. He wanted to know what happened to her.
Teddy : His name?
Mandy : He didn't say.
Teddy : And your friend, Teri?
Mandy : No one saw her after she left hospital. After what they did to her.
Teddy : And you contacted her?
Mandy : No. No one saw her.
Teddy : Look at me. Are you telling me the truth? You telling me the truth? The truth?
Mandy : Yes. Yes.
Teddy : You telling me the truth?
Mandy : Yes.
Teddy : Telling me the truth?
Mandy : Yes!
(00:52:30 - 00:54:10)

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From the conversation above, it shows that Teddy has received information

about the target from Mandy. By Mandy’s clues “A nice man. A black man. He

wanted to know what happened to her‖, it indicates to Robert McCall indirectly

by his colour skin and behaviour. As a result, Teddy can be easier to track and

find him, although he does not see McCall’s appearance yet.

9. Trickery (VI)

Propp explains that trickery happens when the villain attempts to deceive the

hero in order to steal something of value. Moreover, the villain now presses

further, often using the information gained in seeking to trick the hero in some

way, perhaps appearing in disguise (30-31). This may consist of capture of the

victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the

villain is actually a friend and thus achieving cooperation.

The trickery of the film happens when Teddy begins to investigate Robert

McCall at McCall’s house. He hides his identity by claim as a police, but McCall

feels suspicious about his arrival. He keeps trying by questioning him about the

incident at Slavi’s death case.

Teddy : Mr. McCall. Sorry to bother you.

McCall : Yeah.
Teddy : We're looking into a homicide that occurred two weeks ago. Five dead. Russian
restaurant.
McCall : I heard about it on TV. I happened to be there that night.
Teddy : Oh, you were?
McCall : Yeah. You wouldn't be here if I wasn't.
Teddy : Right. We're just checking to see if anyone remembered anything suspicious.
McCall : Not that I recall.
Teddy : May I ask why you dined at that particular restaurant?
McCall : I like pirozhki.
Teddy : There's five Russian restaurants in walking distance of your apartment. I
assume they all serve pirozhki.
McCall : I was meeting a friend. It was her idea. Then I guess I should talk... Sheila
Saunders. But she can't help. She wasn't there. Her daughter had a fever.
Teddy : Didn't stay long?
McCall : I didn't check my watch.

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Teddy : I see. Well, thanks for your cooperation.

McCall : Very welcome.
Teddy : Tell me, do you know this girl?(shows Mandy’s photo to McCall)
McCall : Yeah, I don't know... I don't remember where from. What happened?
Teddy : She fell down and broke her neck.
McCall : Did she?
Teddy : I’ll be in touch.
McCall : Don't you wanna leave me your card, officer? In case I remember anything?
That's what policemen usually do, right?
Teddy : Must have given them all out.
McCall : How'd you find me? I paid cash. No reservation. How'd you find me?
Teddy : Well, that's what we do, Mr. McCall.
McCall : We who?
Teddy : We find people we need to find.
(01:01:39 - 01:03:05)

The dialogue above shows that Teddy uses persuasion by appearing in

disguise to make McCall does not realise that he is investigated by. Furthermore,

he tries to steal important information from McCall to make sure that he is the

man behind the homicide. After that, the trickery becomes clear when Teddy does

not flinch when McCall calls him ―an officer‖.

10. Struggle (XVI)

The next division is struggle. It is the sixteenth function of Propp. In addition,

he explains that struggle is when the hero and the villain join in direct combat and

they fight in an open field (Propp 47-48). However, this may not be the climactic

battle and the hero may just be defeated this round.

Picture 20 (01:06:04) Picture 21 (01:06:54)

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Picture 22 (01:07:30)

In the film, struggle occurs when Robert McCall is at the restaurant where he

is usually being there to read a book and drink a cup of tea. Suddenly, a guy who

looks like working at power lines comes in which is shown on picture 20. As a

result, McCall feels suspicious with him because of his tattoos on his hands, and

then McCall recognises that he is one of Teddy’s men who wants to eliminate

him.

From picture 21, a clash between McCall and the guy who is in disguise as a

power line happens. Moreover, it occurs in an open field, that is in the restaurant

and McCall wins the duel. However, he gets injury because the incident, and then

when he comes out of the restaurant, he sees Teddy and three of his men are in

their car to oversee the fight which is shown on picture 22. Furthermore, a light on

Teddy’s face on picture 22 is from McCall’s cellphone which is utilised to

snapshot him. Therefore, the writer analyses that the incident is the struggle in the

film because the hero and the villain make a direct battle.

11. Branding (XVII)

Branding happens when hero is injured, ―marked‖, or set back in his mission,

but is not fatally wounded (Propp 48). Furthermore, a brand is applied to the body

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because the hero receives a wound during the combat. Therefore, it happens after

the hero is in struggle part that occurs as sixteenth function of the story.

Picture 23 (01:10:02) Picture 24 (01:10:11)

Picture 25 (01:10:13)

The branding of the film occurs after Robert McCall has a fight with Teddy

and his men. From picture 24, the writer examines that McCall gets a ―mark‖

caused by the fight that happens before. Therefore, he cures his wound by pure

honey that is revealed on picture 23. Moreover, his wound is on his right tight

which appears on picture 25 and it can be seen from his bloodstains on the white

towel. As a result, it indicates that McCall─as the hero─cannot continue his

mission for a moment until the wound is healed.

12. Departure (XI)

Propp describes that departure is when the hero leaves home. It means that he

departs to obtain some agent (usually magical) which permits the eventual

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liquidation of trouble (38). Moreover, a new character enters the story: this

personage might be termed ―the donor‖, or more specifically, the provider.

Robert McCall leaves his home by the car to a new place. In addition, he

leaves by a reason. The reason is he wants to meet his old friends who are the

former CIA as well.

Picture 26 (01:13:58) Picture 27 (01:14:06)

Picture 26 explains that McCall drives his car to go to a new place which his

destination to meet his friends and picture 27 shows his point of view as he drives

the car through the way. The both pictures indicate that McCall leaves his home

intentionally. By his leaving, he tries to get some information from his friends

about the Russian Mafias after he has a fight with Teddy and his men before.

Furthermore, the clear reason is explained in the next function.

13. First Function of the Donor (XII)

The next is first function of the donor. Propp states that it is when the hero is

tested, questioned, or attacked which arranges the way for his receiving a magical

agent. In addition, the donor greets and interrogates the hero. This form may be

considered as a weakened form of testing (38-39).

This part happens when Robert McCall arrives at Susan and Brian Plummer’s

house after he leaves his home. They are former CIA members, same as McCall.

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Initially, they do not intend to help McCall. Nevertheless, since he explains about

the incident that happens to him lately, thus they decide to give him some secret

information about Teddy and other Russian mafias.

Susan : If you've come for help, I can't give you any.

McCall : I understand.
Susan : Do you?
McCall : Just came for tea. Just...
Susan : Robert, I have very little influence these days. I'm not at the Agency anymore. I
consult on a few things. That's it.
(01:14:52 - 01:15:14)

From the conversation above, Susan tries to oppose McCall that she cannot

help him. Furthermore, the writer analyses that she merely investigates him about

his arrival to her house because she knows that he comes to for a help. After that,

she keeps to give an explanation that she is not at the agency anymore, but consult

on a few things. It indicates that, initially, she does not intend to help McCall.

Picture 28 (01:15:16) Picture 29 (01:15:28)

Picture 30 (01:15:31) Picture 31 (01:15:33)

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Picture 28 explains that McCall reveals his arrival to Plummer’s house, which

is to ask information about the man who appears on his cell phone. Initially, from

her expression that is shown on picture 29, Susan feels suspicious to him because

suddenly he knows about the man. Consequently, picture 30 and picture 31 prove

that she interrogates him in order to he can explain about his true intention why he

wants more information about one of the Russian mafia’s members. As a result, it

is the part of interrogation from the donor to the hero in order to get the useful

object.

14. Provision (XIV)

Provision is the hero obtains a magical object because of his previous actions.

The object may willingly or unwillingly is given to him by a helpful character

named the donor (Propp 42). Nevertheless, in modern dramas, he learns a skill or

obtains important information.

The provision of the film occurs when Robert McCall comes to Susan and

Brian Plummer’s house to ask information about the Russian Mafias. After that,

he reveals the reason behind it. Subsequently, Susan agrees to help him giving

information about the people he looks for.

Picture 32 (01:17:07) Picture 33 (01:17:12)

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Picture 34 (01:17:32) Picture 35 (01:17:53)

Susan Plummer gives McCall some secret documents, which is shown on

picture 32. Moreover, from picture 33, picture 34, and picture 35, they are secret

documents about Vladimir Pushkin and Teddy Rensen’s complete detail. As a

result, based on the pictures, the writer analyses that Susan and Brian give McCall

some secret documents about the Russian Mafias, thus it can be called that the

donors provide a magical object to the hero. Moreover, they do not ask for

purchase or anything to the hero about the documents because they give it

willingly. Therefore, McCall─as the hero─obtains significant information that is

able to help himself to take a further action to the villain.

15. Return (XX)

The next scheme is return. Propp states that return is normally completed by

means of the same forms as an arrival. However, there is no need of attaching a

special purpose to follow a return, since returning already implies a surmounting

of space (51). This is not always true in the case of a departure. Following a

departure, an agent is given and then flying or other forms of travel occur,

whereas a return takes place immediately and, for the most component, in the

same forms as an arrival. Sometimes, return has the nature of fleeing.

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Picture 36 (01:31:23) Picture 37 (01:31:31)

Picture 38 (01:32:00) Picture 39 (01:32:34)

In the film, the return happens when McCall already has important

information about the Russian Mafias from the Plummers, thus he decides to go

back home and continues to face them. Moreover, this part begins when he meets

Teddy at a restaurant. Initially, Teddy has a meeting with another mafia to discuss

about McCall’s disturbance, which is proved, on picture 36. However, when this

another mafia goes to toilet as he says “I got to piss” on picture 37, McCall

appears in front of Teddy instead because McCall defeats the man at the toilet.

The evidence about the disappearance of the man can be seen on picture 38 when

he hands over the man’s eyeglasses to Teddy, as a sign of the man is defeated.

After that, McCall warns Teddy to tell his leader─Vladimir Pushkin─to stop the

whole of his mafia activities in the United States, but he refuses it, which is shown

on picture 39.

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The writer analyses that the meeting between McCall and Teddy is a symbol

of return because from his departure, McCall tries to find information in order to

continue his mission to defeat all of the Russian Mafias. In addition, it indicates

that McCall is ready to take a risk from his return to threat Teddy in order to shut

down all of his mafia operations by tell to his leader.

16. Difficult Task (XXV)

Vladimir Propp explains that difficult task is proposed to the hero (by ordeal,

riddles, test of strength/endurance, or other tasks). In addition, tasks are also

assigned outside the connections just described, but these connections will be

dealt with somewhat later (51). The method of differentiation of these tasks from

other highly similar elements will be outlined in the chapter on assimilations.

Difficult task of the film occurs when McCall is threatened from his cell

phone by Teddy and his men by hold his co-workers at Home Mart as hostages.

Teddy orders him to save them in thirty minutes or he kills them instead. As a

result, McCall agrees with his request and come to Home Mart as soon as

possible.

(On the phone call)

McCall : Yes?
Teddy : Mr. McCall.
McCall : Nicolai.
Teddy : Your life for theirs.
McCall : Whose?
Teddy : You'll want to answer that.
McCall : Yes?
Ralphie : Mr. McCall?
McCall : Ralphie?
Ralphie : They came into the store when we were closing.
McCall : Who's with you?
Ralphie : Jenny, Brian, Jay, and Marcus. What's going on? Wait--
Teddy : My men there will kill them in 30 minutes. Unless you're here in 29. You know
the place. You can still smell the burning gasoline.
(1:40:38 - 01:41:18)

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The writer analyses the conversation above as the part of difficult task of the

film because Teddy threats McCall by order him to save the hostages at Home

Mart by thirty minutes or he and his men kill them. It indicates that it is the task

for McCall─as the hero─to fulfil it in order to he can rescue them and proves that

he is the true hero of the film. Consequently, this part determines to the next

action.

17. Solution (XVI)

The next scheme is solution. It is certain tasks are completed before they are

set or before the time required by the person assigning the task (Propp 55). In

other words, the protagonist proves again his courage by finishing the impossible

task.

In the film, solution occurs when McCall arrives at Home Mart secretly.

There, he begins to save the hostages. The first hostage that he saves from the

mafias is Ralphie because Ralphie becomes a bait to distract him. Afterwards,

McCall asks him to save the rest while he distracts Teddy and his men by disables

most of the lighting.

Picture 40 (01:56:40)

McCall then executes Teddy’s henchmen in person using booby traps created

with items in the store. After a fight between McCall and one of Teddy’s men,

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Ralphie appears to pull the wounded McCall out of the store, but is shot in the left

leg himself. McCall tells Ralphie to turn on the electrical energy at the breaker

box accurately for forty seconds, giving him his digital wristwatch for accuracy.

After that, he sets up small boxes of oxygen and propane in a microwave oven.

The voltage turns it on; creating an explosion that kills the last of Teddy’s men,

which is shown on picture 40.

Picture 41 (01:58:36) Picture 42 (01:58:38)

Next, picture 41 and picture 42 explain that McCall deals with Teddy and

then kills him with a gun. As a result, the writer examines that McCall’s action in

this part is to save the hostages, and then kills Teddy and his men. In other words,

saving the hostages and killing the antagonist are the tasks that hero must

accomplish in order to he can take an action for the last part of the story. Thus, the

hero can find out the most important person behinds this conflict.

18. Punishment (XXX)

Propp describes that punishment happens when the villain is shot, exiled, tied

to the tail of horse, commits suicide, and so forth. Usually only the villain of the

second move is punished, while the first villain is punished only in those cases in

which a battle and pursuit are absent from the story (57).

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Picture 43 (02:00:13) Picture 44 (02:00:57)

Picture 45 (02:01:29) Picture 46 (02:02:35)

Punishment of the film occurs when Robert McCall comes to Moscow to

execute Vladimir Pushkin, which is shown on picture 43. He is the big boss of the

Russian Mafias. Moreover, picture 44 explains that Pushkin is showering and

does not know that McCall has arrived at his mansion, which is proven on picture

45. In addition, McCall does not show his body when he talks with Pushkin and

he actually has set a trap that electrocutes and then kills him which can be seen on

picture 46.

The writer analyses that the McCall’s action in Moscow is the punishment

part because he wants to kill all of the Russian Mafias. Therefore, he can make

sure that there is no kind of mafia activities in the United States anymore.

Furthermore, this part can be the final action for the hero towards the villain

because his action has proven that he has finished his mission to terminate all of

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the Russian Mafias. Consequently, the last focus to the hero is to rescue the

princess.

19. Wedding (XXXI)

The last scheme is wedding. Propp explains that it is the part when the hero is

married and ascends the throne in folktales (57). However, in contemporary

screenplays, the hero gets the girl without marry her because he succeeds to make

her finding a better life than before. Moreover, most importantly, the hero’s

character will have been changed forever.

Picture 47 (02:04:29) Picture 48 (02:05:30)

Picture 49 (02:06:51)

The wedding of the film happens when Robert McCall comes back to Boston,

the United States. There, from picture 47 describes that he meets Alina who is in

good health from her wounds, has gotten a rightful profession, and likes reading

books. After that, she thanks him by kiss McCall’s right cheek because he gives

her a second chance to begin a new life which is shown on picture 48. Moreover,

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picture 49 explains that McCall is enthusiastic to carry on his skills now to help

people in need and posts an online announcement named himself as The

Equalizer.

The writer analyses that the gathering Robert McCall and Alina is the part of

―wedding‖ because he succeeds to help her from the Russian Mafias’ menace and

makes her to get a better life. She is not a teenaged prostitute anymore, thus she

becomes a normal girl, as it is the hero’s main mission in the film. In addition, the

scene about online announcement on picture 49 is from McCall who wants to help

people, which indicate that his character is changed after he saves Alina. He soon

accepts another request for help and agrees to respond it. Consequently, the film

has a happy ending.

After analysing the scenes and the script above, the writer concludes that The

Equalizer film has nineteen functions out of thirty-one. However, a number of

functions are not arranged in sequences, but one function can expand out of

another with artistic and rational necessity because the writer sees there is not a

single function excludes another. The functional schemes in the story are

absentation (I), interdiction (II), violation of interdiction (III), mediation (IX),

beginning counter-action (X), victory (XVIII), reconnaissance (IV), delivery (V),

trickery (VI), struggle (XVI), branding (XVII), departure (XI), first function of

the donor (XII), provision (XIV), return (XX), difficult task (XXV), solution

(XVI), punishment (XXX), and wedding (XXXI).

In addition, the analysis proves that there are nineteen functional schemes that

are shown on the story; it means the conflict in each character the sequence of the

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events more complex. Because in the thirty-one functions of Propp’s theory, his

sample of Russian folktales to be of a fixed linear sequence of fundamental events

or ―functions‖ (although every one of these functions need not be contained

within each individual tale), his morphology presents a set of fixed grammatical

rules for constructing plot. Each of these functions can also be described as a

gesture that carries a selected or implied emotional association or affect.

Therefore, Propp states that there is no problem if the plot functions do not appear

completely, thus the storyline keeps in the right way. As a result, functions can

serve as guidelines for the arrangement of plot as they can be instrumental in

untangling the somewhat complex interrelationship between story and plot in The

Equalizer film. Moreover, these nineteen functions make McCall’s movements as

the hero clearly from the beginning to the last in order to defeats the Russian

Mafias, and then saves Alina as the princess.

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CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions

The Equalizer is an action-thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written

by Richard Wenk. The film portrays particular setting about a former CIA agent

named Robert McCall who helps Alina out from the Russian Mafias and clean up

all of their activities in Boston, the United States. In this research, the writer

reveals how the character functions and functional schemes can be constructed in

the film. In order to answer the questions, this research uses characterization

theory by Boggs and Petrie and Vladimir Propp’s theory called functions to

support the writer’s statement.

From the findings in the previous chapter, the writer gives two major

conclusions. First, the writer concludes that the film has six characters out of

seven character functions in The Equalizer film. In addition, every character

relates each other to give an explanation that Robert McCall is a character as the

hero which his mission to help a young girl named Alina─as the princess─from

the Russian Mafias’ threat. Consequently, the ascribing of positive or negative

values to each character is fundamental to their roles/function.

Second, the writer concludes that there are nineteen out of thirty-one

functions in the film. However, a number of functions are not arranged in

sequences, but one function can expand out of another with artistic and rational

necessity. As the result, these nineteen functions construct Robert McCall’s

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movements as the hero obviously from the beginning to the last in order to defeats

the Russian Mafias, and then rescues Alina as the princess.

In addition, ―function‖ is an action or event defined from the point of view of

its significance for the course of the action. This is a fundamental theory in

Propp’s system. In practice this means that ―Function = Action (or Event) +

Position‖ in the sequence. The same action have different morphological values

depending on its place in the story. Therefore, in The Equalizer film, the six

character functions can be applied to the nineteen functions, which is to define or

designate units of meaning as part of the story process.

B. Suggestions

In this research, the writer only analyses the characters as character functions

and the plot as the thirty-one functions in The Equalizer film and realises that

there must be many more parts, which can be analysed. Nevertheless, it is possible

for other researchers utilise another theory to analyse this film. They can focus on

the some parts in the film in order to get a broader knowledge of the film.

Furthermore, anyone who concerned in further information about structuralism of

Vladimir Propp or understanding about The Equalizer film, they can read this

material intensely.

After all, the writer hopes this research can be useful to the students of

English Language and Literature, enrich reader’s knowledge, and it can be used as

a reference.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books and Journals:

Aguirre, Manuel. An Outline of Propp’s Model for the Study of Fairytales.

California: The Northanger Library Project (NLP), 2011.

Bertens, Hans. Literary Theory: The Basics (2nd Edition). UK: Taylor and

Francis, 2008.

Boggs, Joseph M. and Petrie Dennis W. The Art of Watching Film: Seventh

Edition. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008.

Butler, Andrew M. Film Studies. USA: Trafalgar Square Publishing, 2005.

Christianson, E.S. A Time to Tell: Narrative Strategies in Ecclesiastes. Sheffield:

Sheffield Academy Press, 1988.

Dick, Bernard F. Anatomy of film, Third Edition. New York: St. Martin’s Press,

1998.

Dundes, Alan. The Morphology of North American Indian Folktales. Helsinki:

Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, 1963.

Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction (Second Edition). Oxford:

Blackwell Publishing, 1996.

Fell, John L. “Vladimir Propp in Hollywood‖. Journal of Film Quarterly, Vol. 30,

No. 3. University of California Press, 1977.

Greimas, A.J. Narrative Grammar: Units and Levels. The Johns Hopkins

University Press, 1971.

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 57

Henderson, Gloria Mason, et al. Literature and Ourselves: A thematic

Introduction for Readers and Writers (Fifth Edition). USA: Person

Education Inc, 2006.

Herman, Luc. and Bart Vervack. Handbook of Narrative Analysis. USA:

Thomson-Shom, Inc., 2001.

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Karya, 2005.

Parahoo, K. Nursing Research: Principles, Process And Issues. Basingstoke:

Macmillan; 1997.

Propp, Vladimir. Morphology of the Folktale. Translated: Laurence Scott. Ed.

Louis A. Wagner (Second Edition). Austin: University of Texas Press,

1968.

_____________ . Theory and History of Folklore. Translated: Ariadna Y. Martin

and Richard P. Martin. Ed. Anatoly Liberman. Minneapolis: University

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Putrayasa, Ida Bagus. Analisis Kalimat (Fungsi, Kategori, dan Peran). Bandung:

Refika Aditama, 2007.

Ratna, Nyoman Kutha. Teori, Metode, dan Teknik Penelitian Sastra dari

Strukturalisme hingga Postrukturalisme: Perspektif Wacana Naratif.

Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2013.

Stewart, C., Marc Lavelle, and Adam Kowaltzke. Media New Ways and

Meanings. London: BFI Publishing, 2008.

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Website:

The Equalizer (2014). IMDb. Web. 26 September 2014.

<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455944/>

Film:

Fuqua, Antoine and Richard Wenk. The Equalizer. Sony Pictures Entertainment,

2014.

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APPENDIX

The Equalizer Film’s Cover

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