HANDOUT 4

• Major or central characters are vital to the development and resolution of the conflict. In other words, the plot and resolution of conflict revolves around these characters.
• Minor characters serve to complement the major characters and help move the plot events forward.
• Dynamic character

  • is a person who changes over time, usually as a result of resolving a central conflict or facing a major crisis.
  • tend to be central rather than peripheral characters, because resolving the conflict is the major role of central characters.
• Static character

  • is someone who does not change over time; his or her personality does not transform or evolve.
• Round character

  • is anyone who has a complex personality; he or she is often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory person.
• Flat character

  • is the opposite of a round character. This literary personality is notable for one kind of personality trait or characteristic.
• Stock characters

  • are those types of characters who have become conventional or stereotypical through repeated use in particular types of stories. Stock characters are instantly recognizable to readers or audience members.
  • are instantly recognizable to readers or audience members.
  • are normally one-dimensional flat characters, but sometimes stock personalities are deeply conflicted, rounded characters (e.g. the "Hamlet" type).
• Protagonist 

  • is the central person in a story, and is often referred to as the story's main character. He or she (or they) is faced with a conflict that must be resolved.
  • may not always beadmirable (e.g. an anti-hero);
  • nevertheless s/he must command involvement on the part of the reader, or better yet, empathy.
• Antagonist 

  • is the character(s) (or situation) that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend.
  • is an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome.
• Anti-Hero 

  • A major character, usually the protagonist, who lacks conventional nobility of mind, and who struggles for values not deemed universally admirable.
• Foil 

  • is any character (usually the antagonist or an important supporting character) whose personal qualities contrast with another character (usually the protagonist).
  • By providing this contrast, we get to know more about the other character.
• Symbolic

  • is any major or minor character whose very existence represents some major idea or aspect of society.
  • For example, in Lord of the Flies, Piggy is a symbol of both the rationality and physical weakness of modern civilization; Jack, on the other hand, symbolizes the violent tendencies (the Id) that William Golding believes is within human nature.
• Direct presentation (or characterization) 

  • This refers to what the speaker or narrator directly says or thinks about a character. In other words, in a direct characterization, the reader is told what the character is like.
• Indirect presentation (or characterization)

  • This refers to what the character says or does. The reader then infers what the character is all about.
  • This mimics how we understand people in the real world, since we can't "get inside their heads".
  • it's the reader who is obliged to figure out what the character is like. And sometimes the reader will get it wrong.
• 1. Ten (Direct or Indirect) Ways in which a Character Can Be Revealed

  • By psychological description.
  • By physical description.
  • By probing what s/he thinks.
  • By what s/he says.
  • By how s/he says it.
  • By what s/he does.
  • By what others say about him or her.
  • By his or her environment.
  • By her reaction to others.
  • By his reaction to himself.
• Integral Setting

  • the setting is fully described in both time and place, usually found in historical fiction.
• Backdrop Setting

  • the setting is vague and general, which helps to convey a universal, timeless tale.
  • This type of setting is often found in folktales and simply sets the stage and the mood.
• Internal Narrator (First-person Narrator; the narrator uses "I" to refer to himself/herself)

  • the narrator is a character in the story, often, but not necessarily, the protagonist. This narrative point of view allows for a very personal touch in the story telling.
• Omniscient Narrator (multiple points of view; the narrator is "all-knowing")

  • the narrator is not a character in the story but knows everything about the story.
  • The omniscient narrator can show the thoughts and experiences of any character in the story.
  • It permits the writer the broadest scope.
• Limited Narrator (External Subjective Narrator; the 3rd person point of view)

  • the narrator is not a character in the story but looks at things only through the eyes of a single character.
  • This type of narrative permits the narrator to quickly build a close bond between the protagonist and the reader, without being confined by the protagonist’s educational or language restrictions.
• plot

  • a series of interconnected events in which every occurrence has a specific purpose.
  • is all about establishing connections, suggesting causes, and showing relationships.
• setting

  • refers to the time, the geographical locations, and the general environment and circumstances that prevail in a narrative.
  • helps to establish the mood of a story.
• Dramatic or Progressive Plot

  • This is a chronological structure which first establishes the setting and conflict, then follows the rising action through to a climax (the peak of the action and turning point), and concludes with a denouement (a wrapping up of loose ends).
• Episodic Plot

  • This is also a chronological structure, but it consists of a series of loosely related incidents, usually of chapter length, tied together by a common theme and/or character.
  • work best when the writer wishes to explore the personalities of the characters, the nature of their existence, and the flavor of an era.
• Parallel Plot

  • The writer weaves two or more dramatic plots that are usually linked by a common character and a similar theme.
• Flashback

  • This structure conveys information about events that occurred earlier.
  • It permits authors to begin the story in the midst of the action but later fill in the background for full understanding of the present events.
• Common types of conflicts:

  1. The Protagonist against Another
  2. The Protagonist against Society
  3. The Protagonist against Nature
  4. The Protagonist against Self
• A single story may contain more than one type of conflict, although one often predominates. The conflict provides the excitement and makes possible the growth and development of the protagonist’s character.
• theme

  • is the main, underlying idea of a piece of literature.
  • It is woven subtly into the fabric of the story rather than being lectured or preached by the author.
• Tone

  • refers to the author’s mood and manner of expression in a work of literature.
  • can be serious, didactic, humorous, satirical, caustic/sarcastic, passionate, sensitive, sentimental, zealous, indifferent, poignant, warm, agitated, and so on.
• THE ELEMENTS OF FICTION

  1. Characters
  2. Setting
  3. Narrative Point of View
  4. Plot
  5. Conflict
  6. Theme
  7. Tone