Literary Terms:  Character

 

Character (KARE-ec-ter): a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood. The different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances of characters can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work, such as theme, setting, and tone. With this understanding of the character, a reader can become more aware of other aspects of literature, such as symbolism, giving the reader a more complete understanding of the work. The character is one of the most important tools available to the author.

 

http://www2.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/general/glossary.htm#c

 

Types of Characters

 

Protagonist - The character the story revolves around.

Antagonist - A character or force that opposes the protagonist.

Minor character - Often provides support and illuminates the protagonist.

Static character - A character that remains the same.

Dynamic character - A character that changes in some important way.

Foil character -- A character that serves as the opposite of another character.

 

Types of Characterization

 

An author can use two approaches to deliver information about a character and build an image of it:

 

1. Direct or explicit characterization

This kind of characterization takes a direct approach towards building the character. It uses another character, narrator or the protagonist himself to tell the readers or audience about the subject.

 

2. Indirect or implicit characterization

This is a more subtle way of introducing the character to the audience. The audience has to deduce for themselves the characteristics of the character by observing his/her thought process, behavior, speech, way of talking, appearance, and way of communication with other characters and also by discerning the response of other characters.

http://literarydevices.net/characterization/