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Howto Writea Character Analysis

This document provides guidance on how to write a character analysis in 3 steps: 1. Describe the character's personality traits based on their words, actions, and behaviors in the story. Identify if they are a flat, round, stock, static, or dynamic character. 2. Define the character's role as the protagonist, antagonist, foil, or other. The protagonist is the main character and antagonist provides challenges. 3. Analyze how the character changes and grows over the course of the story. Note scenes where realizations or new aspects of themselves are revealed.

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80 views3 pages

Howto Writea Character Analysis

This document provides guidance on how to write a character analysis in 3 steps: 1. Describe the character's personality traits based on their words, actions, and behaviors in the story. Identify if they are a flat, round, stock, static, or dynamic character. 2. Define the character's role as the protagonist, antagonist, foil, or other. The protagonist is the main character and antagonist provides challenges. 3. Analyze how the character changes and grows over the course of the story. Note scenes where realizations or new aspects of themselves are revealed.

Uploaded by

mathvin thummala
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to Write a Character Analysis

thoughtco.com/how-to-write-a-character-analysis-1857638

by Grace Fleming
Updated January 29, 2018

If you are required to write a character analysis, your task is to describe the character's
personality traits, role, and significance in a work of literature. To make this process as easy as
possible, it is best to take notes as you read your story or book. Be mindful of subtle hints, like
mood changes and reactions that might provide insight into your character's personality.

Describe the character's personality


We get to know characters in our stories through the things they say, feel, and do.

It's not as difficult as it may seem to figure out a character's personality traits based on his/her
thoughts and behaviors:

"Say cheese!" the exasperated photographer shouted, as she pointed her camera toward the
group of squirming children. Margot displayed her broadest, most convincing fake smile as she
inched ever-closer to her younger cousin. Just as the photographer's finger twitched over the
shutter button, Margot leaned into her young cousin's side and pinched hard. The boy let out a
yelp, just as the camera clicked."

You can probably make some assumptions about Margot from the brief segment above. If you
had to name three character traits to describe her, what would they be? Is she a nice, innocent
girl? Doesn't seem like it from this passage. From the brief paragraph we know she's
apparently sneaky, mean, and deceptive.

Determine the character type of your protagonist


You will receive clues about a character's personality through his or her words, actions,
reactions, feelings, movements, thoughts, and mannerisms.

As you get to know your character, you may discover that he or she fits one of these stock
character types:

Flat Character: A flat character has one or two personality traits that don't change. The
flat character can play a major or a minor role.
Round Character: A round character has many complex traits; those traits develop and
change in a story. A round character will seem more real than a flat character because
real people are complex.

Stock or Stereotype Character: Stock characters are stereotypes such as hot-


tempered redheads, stingy businessmen, and absent-minded professors. They are often
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found in genre fiction (romance novels and mysteries, for example), and are usually flat
characters. They are often used as a tool to move a plot forward.
Static: A static character never changes. A loud, obnoxious "background" character who
remains the same throughout the story is static. A boring character who is never
changed by events is also static.
Dynamic: Unlike a static character, a dynamic character does change and grow as the
story unfolds. Dynamic characters respond to events and experience a change in attitude
or outlook.

Define your character's role in work you're analyzing


When you write a character analysis, you must also define each character's role. Identifying
the character type and personality traits can help you better understand what the larger role of
the character is within the story. They either play a major role, as a central element to the
story, or they play a minor role to support the major characters in the story.

Protagonist: The protagonist of a story is often called the main character. The plot revolves
around the protagonist.

There may be more than one main character.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn is the protagonist.


In Little Red Riding Hood, the little girl is the protagonist.

Antagonist: The antagonist is the character who represents a challenge or an obstacle to the
protagonist in a story. In some stories, the antagonist is not a person!

In Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf is the antagonist.


In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, society is the antagonist. Society, with its unfair
laws and rules, represents the obstacle to Huck's development as a person.

Foil: A foil is a character who provides contrast to the main character (protagonist), in order to
emphasize the main character's traits. In A Christmas Carol, the kind nephew Fred is the foil to
nasty Ebenezer Scrooge.

Show Your Character's Development (Growth and Change)


When you are asked to write a character analysis, you will be expected to explain how a
character changes and grows.

Most major characters go through some kind of significant growth as a story unfolds, often a
direct result of them dealing with some sort of conflict. Notice, as you read, which main
characters grow stronger, fall apart, develop new relationships, or discover new aspects of
themselves. Make note of scenes in which character changes become apparent. Clues include
phrases such as "she suddenly realized that..." or "for the first time, he..."

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