CharacterizationChelsea Jones, Julie Jacobs

Anita Powers, Brittany Quick

What is Characterization?

Characterization is the art of representing fictional people in a narrative.

It can be direct or indirect.

The characters can be major, minor, flat, round, static or dynamic

What is Characterization?

Most of us can usually tell the difference between a major or minor character when we see one, but

dynamic? Static? Flat? Round? What are we talking about here?

A dynamic character is one that changes throughout the story. A static character on the other hand does not

change.

What is Characterization?

Most of us can usually tell the difference between a major or minor character when we see one, but

dynamic? Static? Flat? Round? What are we talking about here?

Characters who have complexity are called round characters while characters that are one dimensional

or repetitive are called flat.

What is Characterization?

Whether a character is flat, round, dynamic or static does not affect how good it is. There are flat characters that can be just as good as round ones. There are also static characters that can affect the story just as much as dynamic ones. They all play a part and are integral

pieces to the story.

Why is Characterization important?

Characters are what make us want to read.

They get us invested into a story, we have to see what happens to them or what crazy adventure they have

next.

Good characterization can make you understand and relate to that character, they become believable.

Why I live at the P.O.Main Characters: Sister and Stella-Rondo

Why I live at the P.O.

In this story we see the use of indirect characterization.

The personalities of Sister and Ronda-Stella are revealed through their speech and actions as oppose

to the author telling us directly.

Why I live at the P.O.

In this story both sisters are characterized as having a stereotypical sibling rivalry. This characterization helps readers to relate to the story. If you have siblings you

know how believable it really is.

Sister

• Narrator and the town’s postmaster

• Outspoken and straight forward

• Jealous and Petty when it comes to dealing with her little sister Stella-Rondo

Sister

Sister’s narration gave the reader insight to her life as well as her thoughts and feelings. However, is her narration reliable? Due to her chronic jealousy and pettiness when it comes to her sister, perhaps not. Her view on the world seems a bit clouded.

 

Stella-Rondo

• Little sister to Sister

• Recently separated and in care of a child she claims is adopted

• Dramatic and manipulative

Stella-Rondo

Stella-Rondo seems to think she must compete with Sister for her families love and attention. She uses manipulation to start dramatic feuds between Sister and various family members. Without her character, Sister may not have had to live at the P.O.

RecitifMain Characters: Twyla, Roberta

Recitif

This is a good example of rounded, dynamic characters.

As the story progresses we see how both girls change. Their perspectives about the past and the current

social situation change.

Their complexity increases throughout the story. Every time they meet we see that there is more to their past

choices and experiences.

Recitif

The author uses both direct and indirect characterization. Twyla gives us some direct details

about what the girls were like but we learn even more about their characters through their actions and words.

Twyla• She is the narrator of the story.

• In the beginning of the story she is an eight year-old girl who is put into a group home and has to room with Roberta, a girl of the opposite race.

• We are left to decide which one is white and which is black because it never comes right out to say it.

• She was put into the group home because her mother likes to dance all night.

Twyla• Her mother seems young and immature. She

embarrasses Twyla during the church service.

• Becomes a waitress later in life to “match up the right people with the right food”

• Sees Roberta eating at the place she works but is completely blown off when she goes to talk to her

• Marries a man names James who is a fireman; she is happily married

Roberta• Same age as Twyla

• She cannot read; only good at playing jacks

• She was put into the group home because her mother was sick

• Her mother is very tall and brings a bible with her to read to Roberta during lunch. She also doesn’t shake Mary’s hand when introduced.

Roberta• Marries a widower who has four kids; he’s wealthy

• She went from “Jimi Hendrix to Annandale, a neighborhood full of doctors and IBM executives”.

• Is nice and connects to Twyla when they run into each other again.

• Confesses that she went back to the group home a couple times after Twyla was gone and then ran away for good.

The Thing in the ForestMain Characters: Penny and Primrose

The Thing in the Forest

Both protagonists are rounded, realistic characters.

Their complexity is revealed later in the story when they are adults, how they live their lives and how they

deal with their horrible memory.

Similarities of Main Characters

• Similar in age.

• The death of their parents around the same time periods.

• They did not marry or have children, yet both worked with children.

• Shared war experience.

• Affected greatly by their childhood experience which lasted into adulthood.

Differences of Main Characters

• Opposites in appearance.

• From different social classes.

• Opposite personalities, with Primrose being immature and Penny being mature

• Opposite occupations (Penny-Child Psychologist, Primrose –Children’s Storyteller).

Differences of Main Characters

• Primrose – Went directly to the forest, but in her mind it was a “magical forest”. Primrose lives an immature type life for an adult.

• Penny – Penny remembers the horror daily and vividly. She avoids direct confrontation with her fear and therefore it takes her longer to make her way to the forest.

Minor Characters: Alys and the Loathy Worm

• These lesser characters are necessary for the story as they precipitate changes for the major characters.

• Alys

Innocent, pink, naïve Alys is presumably eaten by the monster which causes conflict for both

Penny and Primrose over the years.

Minor Characters: Alys and the Loathy Worm

•The Loathy Worm

Even though it is not “human”, it has human characteristics – a rubbery/fleshy face like a monstrous turnip, a horrible smell, with its body made of rank meat.

Symbolizes war and the horrors of war.

Could be a monster type archetype

Why bother with Characterization?

A story is only as good as its characters. Whether minor, major, flat, round, dynamic or static they are all equally important in creating characters and stories that are believable and intriguing.

Works Cited

Mays, K. J. (2013). The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Indirect Characterization. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/indirect characterization

Characterization. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/characterization