Characters 🌻

The Definition

According to the Oxford Reference of Literary Terms (3rd ed.) , a (literary) character is defined as "a personage in a narrative or dramatic work," as well "as also a kind of prose sketch briefly describing some recognizable type of person" in a literary and/or dramatic work. The Mariam-Webster dictionary also usefully adds that it represents "a short literary sketch of the qualities of a social type." (141) 

Similarly, the Oxford Companion to Theater and Performance offers a more succinct definition: "In narrative generally, a character is a person depicted within a story, either through description or direct speech; in drama the term usually refers only to persons portrayed by actors."

There are many different types of characters. In general, we can recognize the following types of characters:

The Protagonist, the main character in the narrative,

who is often opposed by, the antagonist(s) who often stand(s) in opposition to what the protagonist in trying to accomplish. 

The conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist is often supplemented by an array of other characters type, who play an important role in shaping the story. 

Here we recognize the following types:

Flat characters- usually don't stand out; have very few defining traits and their personal history often remains elusive. (or non-existent) Often, their usage in the narrative is to fill in the gaps in the story. They do not change over the course of the narrative!

Round Character in many ways is the opposite of the flat character- they change throught the narrative and as the story progresses becomes quite complex. Further, their exact morality and/or intentions can be elusive and difficult to pinpoint.

Dynamic Character changes throughout the story, in both the constructed-by-the-narrative positive or negative way. 

Confidante Character serves to highlight the protagonist's virtues. (or sometimes faults) In most circumstances, this is a character that the protagonist trusts and assits in the character development through the narrative. 

Examples of types of characters:

References:

"Character." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/character 

Baldick, Chris. Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford University Press, 2008.

The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance, Dennis Kennedy, editor, Oxford University Press, 2010.

BONUS: 

Examples from the novel I am working on! It's working title is Svim Iskrama (eng. To all sparks)

The year is 999,999,945 and humanity rules almost the entirety of the Universe. One of the last planets conquered by the Terrans is Belehradski Geosvod. While the brutal 4-hour war is over, a battle for the memory of the past still stands- and the one to fight it is an autistic sex worker Zuzka.