CHARACTER An imagined person who inhabits a story.

STOCK CHARACTERS: Stereotyped characters known for some

outstanding trait or traits ( Prince Charming, the mad scientist or fearless detective). They require little detailed portraiture. “ In the finest literary creations, characters are drawn”…not as stereotypes , but as unique individuals”. They exhibit many facets to their personalities and have more than one dimension.

TYPES OF CHARACTERS: Flat Characters- known for only one

outstanding trait. They are rarely the central characters in a narrative and stay the same throughout the story.

Round Characters - are represented in depth in a narrative. Round characters are those who change significantly during the course of a narrative or whose full personalities are revealed gradually throughout the story.

DYNAMIC AND STATIC CHARACTERS: Dynamic characters – These characters change

or evolve through the course of the story. Static characters – remain fixed and do not

experience significant change.

HERO: A CHARACTER WHO EXHIBITS IDEAL QUALITIES VALUED BY THE WORLD HE/SHE INHABITS.

ANTIHERO: A protagonist conspicuously lacking in one or

more of the usual attributes of the traditional hero. They can be loners rather than leaders in their society . They are human rather than ideal.

MOTIVATION: Sufficient reason for characters to behave as

they do

HOW A CHARACTER IS REVEALED

Speech- This includes dialect, tone, volume, style frequency of communication.

Actions- What a character does and does not do A character’s surroundings and the atmosphere

with which they are associated. Physical Appearance

HOW A CHARACTER IS REVEALED:

Style of dress – attire Position in society- economic status, profession,

level of authority What other characters think and say about a

character- reputation Relationships- the response of other characters Enemies and Friends What the author directly says about the

character.

CHARACTERS :

SOURCE: Glau, Gregory R., Barry M. Maid, and Duane

Roen., The McGraw-Hill Guide Writing for College, Writing for Life. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.