Flat character

We can analyze characters based on their presentation in the context of narratological structures. "Characters in a text can be rendered either as types or as individuals. A typified character in literature is dominated by one specific trait and is referred to as a flat character." The opposite term round character usually denotes a persona with more complex and differentiated features (Klarer 17).

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, “flat characters are two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work. By contrast, round characters are complex and undergo development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise the reader.” The two types are described by E. M. Forster in his book Aspects of the Novel 1927). The example he gives of a flat character is Mrs. Micawber from David Copperfield (1849–50) by Charles Dickens. She as a character can be easily and accurately described by one or two sentences. Her defining trait is her complete devotion to her children and her husband, and her proclamations that she will never desert Mr Micawber serve as a comic relief ("Flat and round characters").

Another example of a flat character is Egeus, Hermia's father in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. He forbids her daughter Hermia to marry Lysander and is a threat to not only their relationship, but also their life as he proclaims he would rather kill his daughter than have her marry agaist his will. His stance serves as a catalyst for the couple to run away.

Flat characters appear in most if not all works and they are typically contrasted with the protagonists or characters who undergo an arc and some kind of growth who then appear so much more complex and exciting. 

Works Cited:

"Flat and round characters." Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/flat-character,  Accessed 20 Oct.

Klarer, Mario. An Introduction to Literary Studies. E-book, Routledge, 2004.

Author: Jana Pěnčíková, 537524