Character Analysis Essay (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

Now that you have learned that character in literature is "an accumulating

portrait", note also how a character changes. Most works of literature contain

both flat characters (the ones that are of less significance with shallow

personalities, showing little change) and dynamic or round characters. The round

characters are the most interesting because they are changeable, developing like

ordinary people with thoughts, emotions, and actions similar to all of us.

Literary characters should be true to life, under given circumstances and within

certain literary specifications. The key to your study of character should always

be to discover if the character – whether intended by the author to be a lifelike

person or a romantic hero – does and says what you believe human beings

might do and say under the exact conditions presented by the author. Do the

characters ring true? Do they come to life? Do they illustrate many qualities that

add up to accurate representations of human beings? Or do they seem to be

one-dimensional or flat? The degree to which an author can make a character

come alive is a mark of skill, and if you think that your author is successful in this

regard, you should say so in your theme.

One last thing to notice before going on to write your essay on character is how

the writer has chosen to show the character to you. In preparing your theme, you

should look for the following four specific ways in which writers may give you

information about character. Always remember that authors rely on you for the

knowledge of ordinary behaviour.

1. What the characters themselves say (and think, if the author

expresses their thoughts). On the whole, speeches may be accepted at

face value to indicate the character of the speaker. Sometimes, however,

a speech may be made offhand, or it may reflect a momentary emotional

or intellectual state. Thus, if characters in deep despair say that life is

worthless, you must balance this speech with what the same characters

say when they are happy. You must also consider the situation or total

context of a statement, and whether speeches show change or

development. A despairing character might say depressing things at the

start but happy things at the end. Your analysis of such speeches should

indicate how they show change in your character.

2. What the characters do. You have heard that "actions speak louder than

words", and you should interpret actions freely as signs of character.

Sometimes you may find that action is inconsistent with words. Here you

might have hypocrisy, weakness or an approaching change of character.

3. What other characters say about them. In literature, as in life, people

always talk about other people. If the speakers are shown as honest, you

may usually accept their opinions as accurate descriptions of character.

But sometimes a person’s prejudices and interests distort what that

person says. You know, for example, that the word of a person’s enemy is

usually slanted, unfair, or even untrue. Therefore, an author may give you

a good impression of characters by having a bad character say bad things

Character Analysis Essay Page 2