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CHARACTERIZATION. ANALYSIS. Characterization. Defined: The process by which an author fashions fictional characters. Major characters are the principal figures. They are the protagonists in regard to conflict. When a major character changes he is DYNAMIC or KINETIC.
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CHARACTERIZATION ANALYSIS
Characterization • Defined: The process by which an author fashions fictional characters. • Major characters are the principal figures. They are the protagonists in regard to conflict. • When a major character changes he is DYNAMIC or KINETIC. • If a character remains the same throughout, we consider him STATIC.
CHARACTERIZATION • Some characters are classified as ROUND • Such characters are complex. Ex – Hester Prynne in The Scarlett Letter is a “round” character in that the reader is allowed to see many facets of her personality. She is human – neither totally good nor bad. • She is motivated by passion and demonstrates an admirable sense of loyalty towards her paramour by keeping his name a secret while at the same time revealing a vulnerability in terms of her qualifications as a mother
… • Other characters are FLAT. These fictional beings are constructed around one central idea or characteristic and never change or surprise the reader • A STEREOTYPE is a conventional character representing a particular group, class, or occupation. This character acts according to patterns. His appearance is familiar, speech predictable, and actions standardized
… • There are as many stereotypes as there are groups: The ragpicker, doorman, salesman, politician, “typical” Texan, senior citizen, slow but good-hearted worker, miser, power hungry individual, stubborn person, etc. • Stereotypes often seem true to experience, not because they are exact replicas of people who walk the streets but because people whom we meet show some of the same traits
… • Symbolic figures: The seven deadly sins for example: pride, gluttony, envy, avarice, lechery, idleness, and wrath are presented as characters, but they truly represent the negative aspect of human behavior. • A character is not symbolic unless he symbolizes something. Ultimately, a symbolic figure is one whose accumulated actions lead the reader to see him as something more than his own person
… • In Othello, Iago is symbolic of pure evil. • Given a protagonist, the conflict of a story may depend on the existence of an antagonist – two equally opposing forces. An antagonist may be human, environmental, physical, mental, or emotional