Types of Characters in Fiction

"What does characterization do for a story? In a nutshell, it allows us to

empathize with the protagonist and secondary characters, and thus feel
that what is happening to these people in the story is vicariously happening
to us; and it also gives us a sense of verisimilitude, or the semblance of
living reality. An important part of characterization is dialogue, for it is both
spoken and inward dialogue that afford us the opportunity to see into the
characters' hearts and examine their motivations. In the best of stories, it is
actually characterization that moves the story along, because a compelling
character in a difficult situation creates his or her own plot." Karen
Bernardo, Characterization in Literature

In fictional literature, authors use many different types of

characters to tell their stories. Different types of characters
fulfill different roles in the narrative process, and with a little
bit of analysis, you can usually detect some or all of the
types below.

• Major or central characters are vital to the development

and resolution of the conflict. In other words, the plot
and resolution of conflict revolves around these
characters.
• Minor (Secondary or Supporting) characters serve to
complement the major characters and help move the
plot events forward.
• Dynamic - A dynamic character is a person who changes
over time, usually as a result of resolving a central
conflict or facing a major crisis. Most dynamic
characters tend to be central rather than peripheral
characters, because resolving the conflict is the major
role of central characters.
• Static - A static character is someone who does not
change over time; his or her personality does not
transform or evolve.
• Round - A rounded character is anyone who has a
complex personality; he or she is often portrayed as a
 conflicted and contradictory person.
• Flat - A flat character is the opposite of a round character.
This literary personality is notable for one kind of
personality trait or characteristic.
• Stock - Stock characters are those types of characters who
have become conventional or stereotypical through
repeated use in particular types of stories. Stock
characters are instantly recognizable to readers or
audience members (e.g. the femme fatale, the cynical
but moral private eye, the mad scientist, the geeky boy
with glasses, and the faithful sidekick). Stock characters
are normally one-dimensional flat characters, but
sometimes stock personalities are deeply conflicted,
rounded characters (e.g. the "Hamlet" type).
• Protagonist - The protagonist is the central person in a
story, and is often referred to as the story's main
character. He or she (or they) is faced with a conflict
that must be resolved. The protagonist may not always
be admirable (e.g. an anti-hero); nevertheless s/he
must command involvement on the part of the reader,
or better yet, empathy.
• Antagonist - The antagonist is the character(s) (or
situation) that represents the opposition against which
the protagonist must contend. In other words, the
antagonist is an obstacle that the protagonist must
overcome.
• Anti-Hero - A major character, usually the protagonist, who
lacks conventional nobility of mind, and who struggles
for values not deemed universally admirable. Duddy, in
Mordecai Richler's The Apprenticeship of Duddy
Kravitz, is a classic anti-hero. He's vulgar, manipulative
and self-centered. Nevertheless, Duddy is the center of
the story, and we are drawn to the challenges he must
overcome and the goals he seeks to achieve.
• Foil - A foil is any character (usually the antagonist or an
 important supporting character) whose personal
qualities contrast with another character (usually the
protagonist). By providing this contrast, we get to know
more about the other character.
• Symbolic - A symbolic character is any major or minor
character whose very existence represents some major
idea or aspect of society. For example, in Lord of the
Flies, Piggy is a symbol of both the rationality and
physical weakness of modern civilization; Jack, on the
other hand, symbolizes the violent tendencies (the Id)
that William Golding believes is within human nature.
• Direct presentation (or characterization) - This refers to
what the speaker or narrator directly says or thinks
about a character. In other words, in a direct
characterization, the reader is told what the character
is like. When Dickens describes Scrooge like this: "I
present him to you: Ebenezer Scrooge....the most
tightfisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A
squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching,
covetous, old sinner!" - this is very direct
characterization!
• Indirect presentation (or characterization) - This refers to
what the character says or does. The reader then
infers what the character is all about. This mimics how
we understand people in the real world, since we can't
"get inside their heads". In other words, in an indirect
characterization, it's the reader who is obliged to figure
out what the character is like. And sometimes the
reader will get it wrong.
• Mentor Figure
Ten (Direct or Indirect) Ways in which a Character Can Be
Revealed

a. By psychological description.

b. By physical description.

c. By probing what s/he thinks.

d. By what s/he says.

e. By how s/he says it.

f. By what s/he does.

g. By what others say about him or her.

h. By his or her environment.

i. By her reaction to others.

j. By his reaction to himself.

Things to Remember:

1. Literary characters may embody more than one of

these character types at the same time. A dynamic
character may also be the antagonist, and a protagonist
can also be, say, a flat and stock character (i.e. the
one-dimensional hero).
2. Here's a very common mistake: while characters are
often round and dynamic, that does not mean these two
 terms mean the same thing. The former refers to a
character's complexity, while the latter refers to a
character's development over time. Students also
make this mistake with flat and static characters.

“Stories start in all sorts of places. Where they begin often tells the
reader of what to expect as they progress. Castles often lead to
dragons, country estates to deeds of deepest love (or of hate), and
ambiguously presented settings usually lead to equally as ambiguous
characters and plot, leaving a reader with an ambiguous feeling of
disappointment. That's one of the worst kinds.”
― Rebecca McKinsey, Sydney West
 
 
   
 Some  Characterization  Sentence  Starters  
 
*  (Author  Name)  indirectly  characterizes  (character  name)  
through…    
  *  his/her  dialogue  
  *  descriptions  of  him/her  
  *  his/her  first  person  narration    
  *  his/her  reactions  to  his/her  situation  
  *  interactions  with…  
  *  the  use  of  metaphor    
For  example,….  
 
*  (Character  name)  is  directly  characterized  as  
_____________________;  however,  _________________________.    
 
*  When  (Author  Name)  first  introduces  (character  name),  
he/she  _______________________________________________;  (perhaps),  
this  suggests…  
 
*  (Author  name)  sets  up  (character  name)  as  a  (character  type:  
e.g.  foil,  round  character,  protagonist  etc.).  We  see  this  when  
he/she  _____________________________________________________________.  
 
*  It  seems  as  if  (character  name’s)  role  in  the  novel  is  to  
_____________________________________________________.    
 
*  The  inclusion  of  (character  name),  a  (character  type),  
emphasizes/underscores/reflects/highlights  __________  
______________________________________________.