In this blog post, we’ll examine the film ‘What If’ through the lens of Propp’s 31 functions, analyzing Walter’s journey of overcoming his lack of courage and achieving inner growth through adventure, as well as the structure of the modern heroic narrative.
A Story That Begins Between Walter’s Imagination and Reality
The film ‘Walter’s Imagination Becomes Reality’ can be analyzed through the lens of Propp’s 31 functions. This film was selected because it deals with psychological elements—specifically, inner growth—through the motifs of treasure and reward. This study aims to determine whether magical tale narratives are still utilized in recent films and to compare the similarities and differences between past and present narrative structures by analyzing the transition from the elements of misfortune and deprivation—which unfold according to the characters’ psychological causality—to the resolution phase within the story’s structure.
The film’s plot can be broadly divided into three acts. In Act 1, Walter, a photo developer, has a crush on Cheryl but lacks the courage to act on it, so he merely fantasizes about her. In Act 2, Walter sets out to find the photograph he needs to develop. Although pressure from his company and the photographer’s mysterious whereabouts hinder him, Walter gains courage through various adventures as he overcomes these obstacles. In Act 3, after finding the photograph, Walter exposes the company’s injustices and mustered the courage to approach Cheryl.
The plot’s development can be described as a classical narrative driven by the psychological causality of the character Walter. The characterization also demonstrates the construction of a personality that changes in response to specific triggers. The theme is that taking courageous action can transform one’s life, leading to positive and exciting outcomes.
Walter’s Journey Examined Through Propp’s 31 Functions
In Act 1, elements of absence and departure first appear. Walter lacks the courage to even click the “Like” button on Cheryl’s social media post. It is as if he has set limits for himself; unable to muster the courage to act, he is always left merely imagining things. This is linked to the function of prohibition.
However, a violation of this prohibition occurs. The 25th photo of Sean that Walter was supposed to develop has disappeared, and Walter asks Cheryl about the photographer’s whereabouts. He has begun to take actual action—something he had previously only imagined.
What follows is a process of investigation and information gathering. Walter and Cheryl begin investigating the missing Photo No. 25 by Sean, and Walter starts obtaining information about the photographer, Sean, through Cheryl. However, there are also elements of a trap. The photographer, Sean, doesn’t even have an address or phone number.
Walter discovers a photo showing the ocean—where Sean is presumed to be—and the name of a yacht. The yacht is located in New Greenland. His boss continues to pressure him about Photo No. 25. In this situation, the role of mediation comes into play. Cheryl, who had never met Walter before, gives him the courage to believe he can do it.
In the initial stage of his reaction, Walter responds to his boss’s pressure by promising he will definitely show him the photo. He then moves on to the departure stage. Walter summons his courage and sets off for Greenland.
In Act 2, the role of the Giver emerges. He meets a helicopter pilot who helps him get to where Sean is, but the pilot is drunk. In the protagonist’s reaction, just as he lacks the courage to board the helicopter, he imagines Cheryl, and Walter finds the courage.
In the acquisition of the magical means, he boards a helicopter piloted by a drunk driver. Subsequently, during the process of teleportation, he tracks Sean and embarks on adventures ranging from a fishing boat in the Dutch seas to a volcano in Iceland and all the way to Afghanistan. Walter gradually begins to muster his own courage rather than relying on imagination. He also uses various modes of transportation in sequence, such as a bicycle and a skateboard.
During the course of the fight, he ultimately loses track of Sean at the volcano in Iceland. At work, he is threatened with termination, and his ally, Cheryl, has already been fired. Walter goes to Cheryl’s house, but even there, he misunderstands a situation involving her ex-husband. As a result, Walter loses his courage.
However, just as he is about to give up, he receives one final clue, and Walter sets out to find Sean on his own. In the “Sign” stage, Walter possesses the courage to find Sean even when he is alone. And in the “Victory” stage, he locates Sean in Afghanistan. Walter learns the location of the photograph from Sean.
Through this process, his unhappiness and sense of loss are resolved. Walter realizes that his life changes when he summons the courage to take action.
The Changes That Occur to Walter Upon Returning to Reality
In Act 3, the process of return begins. The protagonist, Walter, returns to the United States. However, the “persecution” motif emerges. Because he has been to Afghanistan, he is unable to pass through airport immigration screening.
At this point, the “salvation” motif appears. With the help of the social media administrator—another ally who has been present since the film’s opening—he proves his identity and passes through airport screening. Afterward, the anonymous protagonist returns home, having been fired.
Walter discovers that the photo is inside the wallet he had thrown away. This can be seen as the “unjust demand” function. A difficult task then follows. Walter retrieves the photo from his mother, who had kept it for him.
Finally, in the “completion” stage, he resolves the ordeal by delivering the photo to the company. Later, during the identity verification process, he discovers that Photo No. 25—which Sean submitted to the company—is actually a photo of Walter.
In the “Revelation” stage, he reminds his boss of the company’s core values. Then, in the “Transformation” stage, he confesses his feelings in person to Cheryl, with whom he had previously only conversed in his imagination. He tells her that she was the reason he mustered all his courage.
In the “Punishment” stage, he makes it clear that his boss’s dismissal was unjust. This section represents a rearrangement of the order of Propp’s 31 functions. Finally, in the marriage stage, Walter asks Cheryl out on a date, and after she accepts, they walk hand in hand.
Walter’s Growth as a Reinterpreted Modern Hero
In the film ‘Walter’s Imagination Becomes Reality’, the order of Propp’s 31 functions has been altered, and some elements are placed in a somewhat forced manner. However, most of the elements signified by the 31 functions are present, creating an organic narrative structure.
Both films analyzed here feature reinterpretations of the modern hero. While they depict a return to everyday life after achieving inner growth, they share the common theme of characters who go on to live different lives within that same everyday reality.
In ‘Walter’s Imagination Becomes Reality’, Walter begins the story lacking courage. The events that unfold after Walter—who has gained courage and grown through his adventures—returns to reality contain elements that correspond to the Propp theory’s stages of revelation, transformation, punishment, and marriage.
This analysis demonstrated that Propp’s narrative structure can be applied to contemporary films and validated the rationale for utilizing it in creative works.
