This document discusses characterization in fiction writing. It defines characterization as representing fictional people in a narrative, which can be done directly or indirectly. Characters can be major or minor, and can be flat or round, static or dynamic. A dynamic character changes throughout the story, while a static character does not change. Round characters have complexity, while flat characters are one-dimensional. Examples are provided from short stories to illustrate different types of characters. The document emphasizes that all types of characters are important for creating believable stories.

1. Characterization
Chelsea Jones, Julie Jacobs
Anita Powers, Brittany Quick

2. What is Characterization?
Characterization is the art of representing fictional people in a
narrative.
It can be direct or indirect.
The characters can be major, minor, flat, round, static or
dynamic

3. What is Characterization?
Most of us can usually tell the difference between a major or
minor character when we see one, but dynamic? Static? Flat?
Round? What are we talking about here?
A dynamic character is one that changes throughout the story.
A static character on the other hand does not change.

4. What is Characterization?
Most of us can usually tell the difference between a major or
minor character when we see one, but dynamic? Static? Flat?
Round? What are we talking about here?
Characters who have complexity are called round characters
while characters that are one dimensional or repetitive are
called flat.

5. What is Characterization?
Whether a character is flat, round, dynamic or static does not
affect how good it is. There are flat characters that can be just
as good as round ones. There are also static characters that
can affect the story just as much as dynamic ones. They all
play a part and are integral pieces to the story.

6. Why is Characterization important?
Characters are what make us want to read.
They get us invested into a story, we have to see what
happens to them or what crazy adventure they have next.
Good characterization can make you understand and relate to
that character, they become believable.

7. Why I live at the P.O.
Main Characters: Sister and Stella-Rondo

8. Why I live at the P.O.
In this story we see the use of indirect characterization.
The personalities of Sister and Ronda-Stella are
revealed through their speech and actions as oppose to the
author telling us directly.

9. Why I live at the P.O.
In this story both sisters are characterized as having a
stereotypical sibling rivalry. This characterization helps readers
to relate to the story. If you have siblings you know how
believable it really is.

10. Sister
• Narrator and the town’s postmaster
• Outspoken and straight forward
• Jealous and Petty when it comes to dealing with her little
sister Stella-Rondo

11. Sister
Sister’s narration gave the reader insight to her life as well as
her thoughts and feelings. However, is her narration reliable?
Due to her chronic jealousy and pettiness when it comes to
her sister, perhaps not. Her view on the world seems a bit
clouded.

12. Stella-Rondo
• Little sister to Sister
• Recently separated and in care of a child she claims is
adopted
• Dramatic and manipulative

13. Stella-Rondo
Stella-Rondo seems to think she must compete with Sister for
her families love and attention. She uses manipulation to start
dramatic feuds between Sister and various family members.
Without her character, Sister may not have had to live at the
P.O.

14. Recitif
Main Characters: Twyla, Roberta

15. Recitif
This is a good example of rounded, dynamic characters.
As the story progresses we see how both girls change. Their
perspectives about the past and the current social situation
change.
Their complexity increases throughout the story. Every time
they meet we see that there is more to their past choices and
experiences.

16. Recitif
The author uses both direct and indirect characterization.
Twyla gives us some direct details about what the girls were
like but we learn even more about their characters through
their actions and words.

17. Twyla
• She is the narrator of the story.
• In the beginning of the story she is an eight year-old girl who
is put into a group home and has to room with Roberta, a girl
of the opposite race.
• We are left to decide which one is white and which is black
because it never comes right out to say it.
• She was put into the group home because her mother likes
to dance all night.

18. Twyla
• Her mother seems young and immature. She embarrasses
Twyla during the church service.
• Becomes a waitress later in life to “match up the right people
with the right food”
• Sees Roberta eating at the place she works but is
completely blown off when she goes to talk to her
• Marries a man names James who is a fireman; she is
happily married

19. Roberta
• Same age as Twyla
• She cannot read; only good at playing jacks
• She was put into the group home because her mother was
sick
• Her mother is very tall and brings a bible with her to read to
Roberta during lunch. She also doesn’t shake Mary’s hand
when introduced.

20. Roberta
• Marries a widower who has four kids; he’s wealthy
• She went from “Jimi Hendrix to Annandale, a neighborhood
full of doctors and IBM executives”.
• Is nice and connects to Twyla when they run into each other
again.
• Confesses that she went back to the group home a couple
times after Twyla was gone and then ran away for good.

21. The Thing in the Forest
Main Characters: Penny and Primrose

22. The Thing in the Forest
Both protagonists are rounded, realistic characters.
Their complexity is revealed later in the story when they are
adults, how they live their lives and how they deal with their
horrible memory.

23. Similarities of Main Characters
• Similar in age.
• The death of their parents around the same time periods.
• They did not marry or have children, yet both worked with
children.
• Shared war experience.
• Affected greatly by their childhood experience which
lasted into adulthood.

24. Differences of Main Characters
• Opposites in appearance.
• From different social classes.
• Opposite personalities, with Primrose being immature and
Penny being mature
• Opposite occupations (Penny-Child Psychologist, Primrose –
Children’s Storyteller).

25. Differences of Main Characters
• Primrose – Went directly to the forest, but in her mind it was
a “magical forest”. Primrose lives an immature type life for
an adult.
• Penny – Penny remembers the horror daily and vividly. She
avoids direct confrontation with her fear and therefore it
takes her longer to make her way to the forest.

26. Minor Characters:
Alys and the Loathy Worm
• These lesser characters are necessary for the story as they
precipitate changes for the major characters.
• Alys
Innocent, pink, naïve Alys is presumably eaten by
the monster which causes conflict for both Penny
and Primrose over the years.

27. Minor Characters:
Alys and the Loathy Worm
•The Loathy Worm
Even though it is not “human”, it has human
characteristics – a rubbery/fleshy face like a
monstrous turnip, a horrible smell, with its body
made of rank meat.
Symbolizes war and the horrors of war.
Could be a monster type archetype

28. Why bother with
Characterization?
A story is only as good as its characters.
Whether minor, major, flat, round, dynamic or
static they are all equally important in creating
characters and stories that are believable and
intriguing.

29. Works Cited
Mays, K. J. (2013). The Norton Introduction to Literature.
New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Indirect Characterization. (n.d.). Dictionary.com
Unabridged. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from
Dictionary.com
website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/indirect
characterization
Characterization. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary.
Retrieved October 15, 2014, from Dictionary.com
website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/characteri
zation