Characterization

Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is.

Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.”
Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different methods of indirect characterization:

Speech - What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts - What is revealed through the character’s private thought s and feelings?
Effect on others toward the characters - What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions - What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks -What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

TIP #1: Use the mnemonic device of STEAL t o remember the five types of indirect characterization

TIP #2: Use indirect characterization to analyze visual media:

Film: Look at how the character dresses and moves. Note the facial expressions when the director moves in for a close-up shot.

Drama: Pay attention to the way that the characters reveal their thoughts during a soliloquy.

Round characters -

A round character refers to a character in a fictional work with depth or a complex personality. This character type seems lifelike to readers because they learn many details about them, such as their history, thoughts, emotions and personality traits. As a result, the reader finds such characters more engaging because those insights allow them to relate to them or feel more invested in their journey. Often, though not necessarily, the protagonist of a fictional work is a round character.

They have a complex personality

Round characters have many layers to them and cannot be defined by just one character trait. Rather than just being a nice person, for example, they may also be intelligent, sensitive and have a sarcastic sense of humor. Throughout the story, readers often learn personal details about them, such as their motivations, backstories, goals, fears and passions.

They change over time.

Much like people in real life evolve, so do round characters. Due to the story's events, they often go through some transformation or emotional development. Their personality may not always change, and instead, they may come to a significant realization that changes how they felt or believed initially.

They have internal conflicts

When writing round characters, the authors reveal the inner battles or struggles that they face. These conflicts reveal insights into the characters' motivations, values and emotions. These details help readers better understand and empathize with the characters.

They are realistic

No individual is perfect in real life, and fictional round characters reflect that idea. These characters have flaws and may contradict themselves sometimes, which makes them seem more like real people. As a result, readers may find them easier to relate to or more compelling. Even if their story takes place in a fantasy setting, they act believably or logically. If a frightening event occurs, they will act afraid—and if they do not, the author provides insights that explain why.

Examples

The following examples represent well-known round characters in fictional works:

Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series

Snape first appeared as a relatively flat character — he was the cruel teacher who served as an antagonist for protagonist Harry Potter. As the book series progressed, the story began unfolding layers to his character and revealing multiple sides of his personality. Not always mean, he sometimes demonstrated acts of protection and kindness toward Harry and other students. Eventually, readers see Snape's past from his perspective. Through this narrative choice, they understand the motivations behind his actions.

Marlin from Finding Nemo

Marlin is the protagonist of the film Finding Nemo, which follows him on a journey as he searches for his missing son. Viewers learn that Marlin lost every member of his family except for Nemo. This event demonstrates the reason behind the pair's strong bond and Marlin's protective and worrisome nature without stating it explicitly. Marlin endures conflict throughout the film as he searches for Nemo, and those events and the sea creatures he meets along the way help change his personality into someone more playful and hopeful.

Hamlet from Hamlet

Hamlet is a complex protagonist with many facets to his personality, and readers gain insights into his internal thoughts and motivations through his monologues. He faces external conflicts due to his father's death and internal conflicts about how he must act. Hamlet often behaves in a contradictory manner like a real person. At one moment, he demonstrates disdain for the character Ophelia, and in another, his actions reveal his love for her. While his inner thoughts display a thoughtful or indecisive nature, he sometimes commits impulsive decisions.

Round vs. flat characters

While authors provide multiple dimensions to round characters, the same is not true of flat characters. Instead, these characters often demonstrate some of the following opposing characteristics:

They are uncomplicated

A flat character generally is summed up in a word or brief phrase. Their role in the story does not change, and the reader does not learn anything further about their personality. For example, a flat character could be the "neighborhood bully." The reader only sees them act like a bully and torment the main character—they do not learn the reasons behind their behaviors.

They only have external conflicts

Unlike with round characters, readers only see flat characters' external struggles. For example, their conflicts with other characters via dialogue or actions. The readers do not see them struggle with themselves or their feelings. Any insights into a flat character are strictly surface level.

They often do not change

Most flat characters serve the same role at the beginning of a fictional work as they do at the end. Though readers sometimes see them change with some limitations. For example, the neighborhood bully may show growth at the end of the story by apologizing for their actions or acting kinder. However, the readers do not see the bully's internal thoughts or motivations that led to such change.

Though flat characters offer less depth or dimension than round characters, they still serve a purpose when writing fictional works. Some authors want to focus on writing plot-driven stories, so their characters can be flatter because they only use them to help move the story forward. A flat character also often works as a foil to the protagonist by creating conflict. Conflict can reveal depth and insights about the protagonist while providing an opportunity for them to grow. Furthermore, readers can see how dimensional and lifelike the protagonist is when compared to the flatter counterpart.

What Is a Flat Character?

A flat character is a two-dimensional character lacking depth or a real personality. Usually, flat characters have just one or two perfunctory traits. Often considered “stock characters,” flat characters can often be summarized in one word (like “bully” or “love interest”) and never digress from or transcend their role.

A good story is never made up of mostly flat characters. A good story needs to have a balance of round and flat characters.
Flat characters still need to serve a specific purpose to propel the story forward in some way.
Flat characters are often confused with static characters, and while they are related, they are different concepts. Where a flat character is one that is two-dimensional, a static character is one that doesn’t change throughout the course of the story.
Most flat (simple) characters are static (unchanged by the end of the story), but not all static characters are flat.

Examples of flat characters in literature include Crabbe and Goyle in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Elizabeth Proctor in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

What Is the Purpose of Flat Characters?

While unintentionally flat characters can be evidence of weak writing, there are still reasons for good writers to write flat characters:

They are useful in plot-heavy narratives. In stories where the plot is the main focus, such as science fiction narratives, deep character backstories can get in the way of plot details. To help guide readers through the story, writers of plot-heavy narratives can opt for flat characters to let the narrative take center stage.
As foil characters for round characters. A foil character is a type of character that embodies the opposite traits of another character, thereby strengthening audiences’ opinions of both characters. A flat character interacting with a round character will act as a foil, whose flatness will reinforce to audiences the impressive depth of the round character. Learn more about foil characters here.
To communicate a moral or morals. Fairy tales and fables like The Little Red Hen employ flat characters to great effect. These stories are primarily concerned with illustrating a clear moral point, without character details getting in the way.
For comedic effect. Flat characters aren’t easy to take seriously, because audiences can’t relate to them—but when they’re written to be funny, audiences can enjoy laughing at a flat character’s one-dimensionality. Flat characters work especially well for quick comedic sketches, where a deep character backstory would only detract from the jokes.

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