Round Characters and Flat Characters in a Story

A round character is a major character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and is changed by it. Round characters tend to be more fully developed and described than flat, or static, characters. If you think of the characters you most love in fiction, they probably seem as real to you as people you know in real life. This is a good sign that they are round characters. A writer employs a number of tools or elements to develop a character, making him or her round, including description and dialogue. A character’s responses to conflict and his or her internal dialogue are also revelatory. How do you go about creating a round character rather than a flat one? Creating truly believable characters takes time and thought, of course; you can start by answering these questions about your main character. Also Known As: major character, main character, dynamic characters Examples:

Heathcliff, Anna Karenina, and Raskolnikov are all round characters from classic literature. We very quickly gain a sense of their emotions, motivations, and histories, though they are all very complex people. flat character

Definition: A flat character is a minor character in a work of fiction who does not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. Also referred to as “two-dimensional characters” or “static characters,” flat characters play a supporting role to the main character, who as a rule should be round. Though we don’t generally strive to write flat characters, they are often necessary in a story, along with round characters. Take, for example, Mr. Collins in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. A flat character, he serves a vital role in the story of how Elizabeth and Darcy get together, and he provides comedy, but his character stays essentially unchanged. (In fact, that’s part of what makes him funny.) How do you go about creating round characters rather than flat ones? Creating complex, believable characters takes time and thought, of course, so get started by answering these questions for developing characters. Also Known As: two-dimensional character, minor character, static How to Write a Character Analysis

1). Personality of the Character
When you write a character analysis, you will be expected to describe a 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? Hardly! From the brief paragraph we know she’s apparently sneaky, mean, and deceptive. You will receive clues about a character’s personality through his or her:

* Words
* Actions
* Reactions
* Feelings
* Movements
* Thoughts
* Mannerisms
2.) Character Role

When you write a character analysis, you must also define each character’s role. In addition to having personality traits, characters also fill certain roles in a story. They either play a major role, as a central element to the story, or they play a minor role to serve a supporting role 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. 3.) Character 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 characters go through changes as a story unfolds-otherwise, stories would be pretty boring! Other Useful Terms for Character Analysis

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-and those traits develop and change in a story. A round character will seem more real than a flat character, because people are complex! Stock or Stereotype Character: A character who represents a stereotype is a stock character. These characters exist to maintain widespread belief in “types,” such as hot-tempered redheads, stingy businessmen and absent-minded professors. 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.