Characterization
CharacterizationDirect characterization: The author tells us
directly how the character is.
Example: Oh! but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone,
Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching,
covetous old sinner! Charles Dickens, A Christmas
CarolCharacterizationIndirect characterization: The author shows
how the character is through speech, actions, physical
descriptions, and how others react to him or her.Example: I wish to
be left alone, said Scrooge. I dont make merry myself at Christmas,
and I cant afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the
establishments I have mentioned; they cost enough, and those who
are badly off must go there. Many cant go there, and many would
rather die. If they would rather die, said Scrooge, they had better
do it, and decrease the surplus population. Charles Dickens, A
Christmas Carol
Round characterA character whose personality is fully realized
in the story; we get a sense of the characters motives, background,
etc.Mr. Fredricksen in UP is a round character. We discover his
background when we see him as a young boy dreaming of travel and
adventure. We understand his personality as we see him growing
older with his wife, and we understand his motivation when he wants
to preserve his house after his wifes death.
Flat characterA character whose personality is not fully
realized in the story; we only see one or two characteristics.Dug
from UP is a relatively flat character. He really has only a couple
of traits (friendly and loyal). We dont get too much background
with him. Hes a dog.
Dynamic characterA character who changes in a significant way
during the course of a story. The change must be sufficiently
motivated by an event and/or occur over a period of time.As with
many round characters, Mr. Fredricksen is also a dynamic character.
He starts off as a withdrawn old curmudgeon. However, by the end he
has transformed into an action hero (with the fight
on the zeppelin) and has become a de facto father for Russell.
As a result of his experiences, Mr. Fredricksen has opened up
emotionally and regained a more youthful outlook on life.Static
characterA character who largely remains the same during the course
of the work.Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol is a static
character. At the beginning he is a kind man and a devoted husband
and father. At the end he is a kind man and a devoted husband and
father. There is no real change to his character.