Skill Spotlight: Character

Skill Spotlight: Character

Defined

Every work of fiction or drama needs characters. Whether they are people or animals, robots or creatures from outer space, their thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions drive the plot. Characters move the action forward, so they are inseparable from the plot. Authors construct characters through description, dialogue, and situations that reveal their personalities and traits, such as whether they are honest or devious, humorous or clever.
 
The main character in a story or play—the one the story revolves around and who usually has a problem to solve—is called the protagonist. The character whose goals work against the protagonist is called the antagonist. Minor characters provide support for the protagonist and antagonist, helping to reveal aspects of their personalities. Think of the plot as the engine, and the main character as the person behind the steering wheel. Identification and Application:

• Identify who is telling the story, as well as the time and place where the story is set. These details help define a character.
• To identify the main character, or protagonist, of a story, look for the character who is discussed the most and to whom the most happens.
• Figure out what motivates, or drives, a character. What does he or she want? Then look for what a character does in order to get it.
• The protagonist is usually a complex character. A complex character
  • Has conflicting emotions and motivations.
  • Develops and changes over the course of a story.
  • Advances the plot events.
  • Develops the central idea, or theme, through his or her actions.
• Locate the antagonist, or the character who most stands in the way of the protagonist’s success.
• Analyze how complex characters interact with other characters in a story, in order to advance the plot or develop the theme.
• Use one or two words to describe the minor characters in a story, to help you remember what role they play in the action.
• Watch for changes in the main character in the course of the story. Those changes will help point you toward the theme, or central idea, of the story.