Character
Terms
Character-an extended verbal representation of a person (“the inner self”)
Trait-a quality or habitual behavior of a character
Round character-a character that are three-dimensional, authentic, and memorable
Dynamic character-a character that recognizes, changes with, or adjusts to circumstances
Hero/heroine-a round character that plays the major role in the story
Protagonist-a character that is central to the action of the story
Antagonist-a character that serves as the opposing factor to the protagonist
Flat character-a simple and one-dimensional character
Static character-a character that lacks growth or the ability to adjust to circumstances
Stock character-a character that finds himself/herself in recurring situations
Representative character-a stock character that represents a class/group
Stereotype-a character that is fully molded after a group or class
Verisimilitude-the concept of making character authentic and true to life
Probability- what characters are more likely to do (possibility of it happening)
Plausibility-what characters may possibly do (logistics of it happening)
Beloved
Toni Morrison is attempting to portray the difficulties of the freeman’s life after enduring bondage. These difficulties can be seen clearly through Morrison’s utilization of character. Sethe is portrayed as an incredibly round character due to her three-dimensional nature since her decision to have to kill her own child out of her own perceived beliefs of materialism is shown to consistently affect her and 124 throughout the rest of the story. An exemplary morally ambiguous choice such as this only provides depth into Sethe’s character and lends to Morrison’s verisimilitude in enhancing Sethe’s plausibility in terms of her actions and choices. Morrison also utilizes a stock antagonistic character (Schoolteacher) to physically manifest the evils of slavery.
Huck Finn
In Huck Finn, Twain illustrates the main protagonist as a round character. Huck’s roundness is seen most clearly with his internal struggles and moral dilemma in regards to his travels and relations with Jim, an escaped slave. Ultimately, Huck’s transformation from one that was averse to contact with slaves to one that could be actually friendly to them is a sign of his dynamic characterization building his own plausibility as a human.
Hamlet
Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as the protagonist who is very emotional, cynical and daring. These traits of Hamlet guides the readers throughout the entire arrangement of murdering his uncle, king Claudius, for the sake of his father’s wistful death. Hence, when Gertrude, a static character drinks the poisoned drink made by Claudius, which was meant for Hamlet and dies, Shakespeare produces a plausible and probable ending for the play; Hamlet, at last, sees the demise of the selfish uncle.
The Things They Carried
Author Tim O’Brien uses dynamic protagonist Tim O’Brien in attempt to illustrate the fundamental experience of his war experiences in Vietnam and what it signifies to him. The story is told in a non-sequential events to represent the turmoil and chaos the war brought to the round characters we are told throughout the story. As the story concludes on, author Tim O’Brien dismisses any stereotypes which may characterize the soldiers; tough, emotionless, mechanic and etc. Most importantly, he states that war is a dreadful place to be for the soldiers, yet, it also gives underlying purpose to them.
Heart of Darkness
Conrad focuses his story, Heart of Darkness, around his protagonist, Marlow. As Marlow travels down the Congo River in the story, he finds many flat stock characters that are representative of the time, such as the prim and proper Europeans at the way stations or the lower native populations deemed “savage.” As his journey progresses, Marlow shows changes in ideas and attitude towards the Congo, thus denoting a much more dynamic character model. Near the end of the journey, Conrad reveals Kurtz, the product of unchecked exploitation and greed within the Congo, who is made believable by the information given by other sources throughout the story. Through this information Conrad’s verisimilitude shown.
Death of a Salesman
Willy Loman, the central protaganist, is a stock character who consistently fails to learn and grow from his own mistakes. Instead of trying to remedy the situation he has put himself in, he continues to blindly blunder through hoping, hoping for an escape. Meanwhile his son, Biff, a dynamic character learns from his errors and tries to remedy them even going so far to face his father and the truth. Through these action Arthur Miller forms characters that prove very much that the American Dream is highly improbable and highly implausible and leads to one’s own demise.
The Crucible
Abigail Williams is the clear antagonist of the play, being responsible for many of the deaths in the Salem Community while feeling no remorse for these actions. John Proctor serves as the play’s passive protagonist as well as the tragic hero. As a dynamic character, he is utterly ashamed of his affair with Abigail that he is unable to forgive himself of this sin, but ultimately decides to push past this guilt and shame and bring forth the truth of his lechery regardless of the resultant consequence of his own death.