CHARACTERIZATION Flat v Round Static v Dynamic Relating

CHARACTERIZATION Flat v. Round Static v. Dynamic Relating and Reflecting

What do you think a round character is? A flat character?

ROUND CHARACTER • Well-developed • Has many traits, both good and bad • Not easily defined because we know many details about the character • Realistic and life-like • Most major characters are round The test of a round character is whether it is capable of surprising in a convincing way. If it never surprises, it is flat character.

FLAT • Not well-developed • Does not have many traits • Easily defined in a single sentence because we know little about them • Sometimes stereotyped • Most minor characters are flat

SO… • ROUND- complex and realistic; capable of surprise • FLAT- summed up in one sentence �Like Puck Midsummer night’s dream

ROUND OR FLAT?

• “Dead Pockets” ▫ Wife? ▫ Tom Benecke? • “The Bet” ▫ Lawyer? ▫ Banker? • “Shaving” ▫ Barry?

What do you think a static character is? Dynamic?

DYNAMIC • Undergoes an important change in personality in the story • Comes to some sort of realization that permanently changes the character • A change occurs within the character because of the events of the story • The protagonist is usually dynamic, but not always

STATIC • Remains the same throughout the story • Although something may happen to the character, it does not cause the character to change • Minor characters are usually static

SO… • DYNAMIC- character that changes significantly • STATIC- a character that does NOT go through significant change

• “Dead Man’s Pockets” ▫ Wife? ▫ Tom Benecke? • “The Bet” ▫ Lawyer? ▫ Banker? • “Shaving” ▫ Barry?

Satire • A story which exposes human vice or folly (as opposed to parody which is mostly to entertain)

Point of View

Point of View: • Who is telling the story? How much do they contribute?

First Person Narrator • Uses “I” • Story told from a main character’s POV

Second Person Narrator • Very rare • Uses “you” and presents commands • Often the narrator

Third Person Narrator • Objective: neutral observer or recorder; reports what happens and what characters say ▫ May be a narrator outside the text • Omniscient: all-knowing; not only reports the facts but also may interpret events and relay the thoughts and feelings of any character • Limited Omniscient: gives the impression that we are very close to the mind of ONE character, though from a distance