Responding to Characters: Types of Character and Characterization

Character Character is any personage in a literary work who acts, appears, or is referred to as playing a part.

Types of Characters: Round and Flat Round characters are characters that act from varied, often conflicting motives, impulses, and desires. Round characters have psychological complexity. Flat characters are often simple, one-dimensional characters that behave and speak in predictable or repetitive ways.

Types of Characters: Static and Dynamic Static characters are characters who do not change throughout the course of the text. Dynamic characters are characters that do change throughout the course of the text.

Types of Characters: Stock and Archetypes Stock characters represent familiar, frequently recurring type characters. Examples: the dumb blond, the mad scientist, the inept sidekick, the plain yet ever-sympathetic best friend. Considered stock because these characters seem to be pulled out of a “stockroom” or familiar, prefabricated figures. Archetypes are characters that recur in myths and literature of many different ages and cultures.

Characterization Characterization is the art and technique of representing fictional personages. When analyzing a character, consider not only who a character is and what precisely are his or her most important traits, motivations, and values, but also precisely how the text shapes our interpretation of the character. Also, consider what function the character serves in the narrative, and what might the character represent.

Direct and Indirect Characterization Direct characterization is when the narrator explicitly tells readers what a character is like. Indirect characterization is when readers must infer what a character is like from his or her actions and dialogue.

Evidence to Consider when Analyzing a Character -the character’s name -the character’s physical appearance -the character’s thoughts and speech: including: content (what he or she thinks or says) timing (when he or she thinks or says it) phrasing (how he or she thinks or says it)

Evidence to Consider when Analyzing a Character Continued -objects and places associated with the character -other characters’ thoughts about the character -other characters’ comments to and about the character -the narrator’s comments about the character

Questions about Character Who is the protagonist? Are there other main characters? Who are the minor characters? What are the type of characters in the text? What are the protagonist’s most distinctive traits? What are his or her values?

Questions about Character Continued What are the motivations of this character? What are the internal and external conflicts? Which textual details or moments reveal most about this character? What are the roles of the other characters? Does your view of any character change over the course of the text?