Characters as Ideas

In folktales, characters are generally stereotypical. They act out ideas. Characters like Right Sector in Russian Disinfolklore are only there to move the plot along. After you have finished the story, you understand everything about the character: they are extremist. Radical. They harm weak women and children. If you meet the character again in another story, they will always perform as expected. Over the course of this series of Disinfolklore we will meet these Russian Disinfolklore Bogey Men again and again. They always perform the same function: they exist to frighten Ukrainians under Russian occupation into thinking they’re better off submitting to Russian occupation.

Source: Disinfolklore (6) (Substack essay)

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