MODULE 3:

CHARACTERIZATI
ON
English 238: Introduction to Fiction
Daniel Froid
Overview of Module 3

■ In this module, you will learn about another element of fiction:

characterization.
■ Additionally, we will consider how this element works in Hiroko
Oyamada’s novel The Factory.
■ At this point, you should have read up to page 65 (about half of the
novel).
 PART 1:
CHARACTERIZATION
Who are the characters in the story?

Characterization refers to the techniques an author of a work of fiction uses to represent

the moral, intellectual, and emotional natures of the characters who appear in that work.
Two basic techniques in writing fiction are showing and telling. Sometimes an author will
show you what a character is like by depicting that character performing various actions,
while at other times characterization is achieved through statements and description. In a
first-person narrative, the character will often state things directly (“I am a good student”);
in third-person narratives, the author will explain these things (“He was a good student who
did all of his homework as soon as he got it”). This isn’t to say that this is a universal rule.
Usually, a work of fiction will both show and tell you things about the characters rather than
sticking to one technique.
Characterization

A useful way to evaluate the extent to which characters in fiction are developed is the
distinction between flat characters and round characters.* Keep in mind that both flat
and round characters can appear in the same work and that this isn’t necessarily a binary;
there are degrees of flatness/roundness.
A flat character is also known as a two-dimensional character. This character is more of a
type (even a cliché) and stays the same throughout the work. This character does not exhibit
significant growth. Stock characters are a subset of flat characters and include such familiar
figures as the damsel in distress and the knight in shining armor.
A round character is multifaceted and subject to change and growth. A round character is
also capable of inconsistencies and complexities, much like real human beings. Round
characters are three-dimensional; they feel realistic.
Characterization

The main roles that characters in a given plot fulfill can be classified into three types:
protagonist, antagonist, and foil. (Note that not every narrative features characters who
neatly align with these types; these are broad categories.)
The protagonist is the main character. The events of the work center on them, and they are
usually the most fully developed character. This often means that most of the narrative
focuses on them, and their growth and/or experiences are in some way essential to the
development of the plot. An alternative term is hero/heroine. Odysseus is the hero of
Homer’s epic The Odyssey. However, that term typically connotes nobility, dignity, an
elevated status, and other larger-than-life qualities. A main character who is inept and
downtrodden—who lacks the conventional qualities of a hero—is an antihero.
In Annihilation, the protagonist is the biologist. Whether she qualifies as a hero is up for
debate. The Factory has multiple main characters: Yoshiko, Yoshio, and Ushiyama.
Characterization

The antagonist is a character that opposes the protagonist’s goals and interests and is
responsible for creating the major conflict in the work. You might also identify the
antagonist as a villain, although sometimes antagonists are not villainous (just as sometimes
protagonists are unheroic). In many works the main force that opposes the protagonist’s
goals is not a character at all; it might be something like fate.
In Annihilation, who would you say is the antagonist? We might say the psychologist, given
how she manipulates and misleads the other characters, but she is not exactly villainous.
Perhaps the unstoppable, mysterious Area X itself is the antagonist.
Characterization

The foil is a character who contrasts with the protagonist in ways that bring out certain
moral, emotional, or intellectual qualities; these contrasts compel the reader to think more
deeply about the motivations and attitudes of both characters. In some ways, it seems more
accurate to identify the psychologist in Annihilation as a foil in that she contrasts with the
biologist’s perception of Area X, motivations for acting, understanding of knowledge, and
so on.
Questions to ask

■ Who is the main character (protagonist)? Is that character round?

■ Is there an obvious antagonist? How do you know?
■ Is there a foil?
■ How do we know about the protagonist? What does the author show, and what does the
author tell?
■ Pay attention to the scenes that show and those that tell. Why do you think the author
used one technique rather than another to depict a particular facet of characterization?
■ How do the characters, especially the protagonist, change over time?
 PART 2:
APPLICATION
Hiroko Oyamada

Hiroko Oyamada (b. 1983) is a Japanese writer. She has won several
Japanese prizes for her fiction. The Factory is her first work to be
translated into English. This novel is inspired by her own work
experiences, and she counts among her influences Franz Kafka (whose
The Metamorphosis we will read later this semester; keep it in mind, as
the two make an interesting pair).
Hiroko Oyamada writes in Japanese. The Factory was translated by
David Boyd.*
Characterization in The Factory

The Factory has three primary characters, all of whom work for the same company. For the
purposes of our lecture, we’re going to focus on them. These character are Yushiko
Ushiyama, who works as a document shredder; Yoshio Furufue, who is working to create
green-roofing for the facility’s buildings; and Ushiyama (whose first name we do not learn),
who works as a proofreader.
As you read and take notes on the novel, consider not just the facts you learn about each
character but the strategies Oyamada uses to develop characterization.
To begin, we can make a few basic observations about the novel: all of the chapters are told
in first-person, and the chapters alternate perspectives among the three main characters.
Almost everything we learn about each character derives from their own thoughts and what
they say to other people.
In the next slide, I’d like to consider the first things we learn about each character.
Characterization in The Factory

Yoshiko Ushiyama Yoshio Furufue Ushiyama

■ Displays a high level of ■ Indicates a level of ■ Describes confusion at
attention to detail: she scientific knowledge: he having fallen asleep and
claims to “smell birds” speculates whether the work and details his
(3), and she notices the birds he sees are crows, thought process about
receptionist’s weight and cormorants, or shags why he fell asleep and
lipstick and Goto’s red what his coworkers are
eyes and clouded face doing

What do these behaviors reveal about each character? Yoshiko is highly perceptive and intelligent, which
contrasts with her brainless job. Yoshio is scholarly, and his thoughts center on his work and his knowledge
rather than himself. Ushiyama is very interior and concerned with what others think. Are any of my judgments
made more complicated or even contradicted as the novel continues? What have you noticed?
Characterization in The Factory

Regarding the previous slide: In every case, Oyamada develops characterization through the
use of that character’s observations of their environment and about themselves. There is a bit
of dialogue in Yoshiko’s chapter, but this helps set the scene rather than reveal much about
who she is.
A combination of dialogue and Yoshiko’s personal thoughts reveal more about her character.
She notes, “Since graduating, I’d quit five companies. This job would be my sixth” (4). Her
boss does not allow her to explain her work history but instead asks her to talk about herself.
She details her interests in “the use of language in print media.” Thus, from the beginning,
Oyamada establishes an interesting contrast between Yoshiko’s clearly high level of
intelligence and abilities and her apparently low ambitions. (Note that she says later, “Maybe
it’s not such a bad thing to have a job that you can master on the first day” [34].) Why do you
think that is?
How else does Oyamada reveal information about her characters? How do these strategies
differ from character to character?
Characterization in The Factory

Let’s consider the other two main characters. Yoshio details his background at the university and his
confusion regarding his new job. For instance, he is puzzled that he is allowed to work at his own pace
and that he will work by himself. In his narration, he persistently backtracks or qualifies his dialogue.
His conversation with Goto reveals his many internal doubts: “‘It’s just me?’ ‘That’s correct.’ ‘One
person? To get the whole thing going? And why is that?’ Unbelievable. I really couldn’t understand
what he was saying, it was just too absurd. What idiot dreamed this up?” (16). When Oyamada
provides Yoshio’s narration, she tends to show him alternating between conversation and his private
thoughts; he never seems to reveal what he really thinks, much more so than the other two characters.
As for Ushiyama, his monologues are often full of questions and insecurities. For instance, as he
begins his work proofreading, he points out his doubts about his skills: “I feel as though I’ll never
develop like this, just sitting around, checking these documents. . . . I have no clue if I’m doing my job
correctly, so how could I hope to get better? . . . I’m going to have to figure this out on my own” (36).
Try to place this element of fiction (characterization) in conversation with the previous one (setting).
How does Oyamada use the setting to reveal information about her characters? Or how does she use
the characters to tell us about the setting? Use specific examples from the text.
Homework

Remember to consider the questions in the “Questions to Ask” slide as you craft your thoughts
on characterization in The Factory. Also feel free to build on my comments and observations.
You can focus on whichever character(s) you like, but continue to think about how Oyamada
develops characterization in the novel and how characterization relates to the plot of the novel
and its major concerns.
Your first reading journal entry is due by 5:00 pm on Monday, and it should focus on the first
half of the novel (through page 57).
You will have a discussion board post due on Thursday by 5:00 pm, and your response posts
will be due on Saturday by noon.
Don’t forget that Essay #1 is due on Saturday by midnight. An assignment sheet can be found
on Brightspace.