ASL Literature in English Characters in Stories ASL Literature in English

Characters: Definitions An imagined person who inhibits a story An object with recognizable human personalities Acting in a reasonably consistent manner Provided with motivation: sufficient reason to behave as they should do

Characters: Definitions Sudden and unexpected behaviours of a character: general trust that there is a reason behind Example: Ebenezer Scrooge In “Christmas Carol ”(Charles Dickens) Changes within one night - after the visits of four ghostly visitors

Stock characters Often known by some outstanding trait(s) Little detailed portraiture Examples: the bragging soldiers in Greek and Roman comedy Prince Charming in fairy tales

Characters: Flat or Round? Flat characters: characters with only one outstanding trait or feature, or at most a few distinguishing marks Example: Mad scientist – lust for absolute power + crazily gleaming eyes Stay the same throughout the story - Static

Characters: Round or Flat? Round characters: Presented with portraits in greater depth and more details Personalities to be realized through his thoughts, feelings and perceptions Often Change (become enlightened, grow or deteriorate) - dynamic

Characters: Names An indicator of character’s natures Allusion: a reference to a famous person, place, or thing in history, in fiction, or in actuality Example (Charles Dickens) Mr. Jingle: something jingly, light, and superficially pleasant

Antiheros A common feature in recent novels A protagonist conspicuously lacking in one or more of the usual attributes of a traditional hero (bravery, skill or idealism) Usually ordinary and unglorious Loners without perfections, just being able to survive

Antiheros Lack characters – a person’s conduct / persistence and consistency in seeking to realize his long-term aims Example: Meursault (The Stranger by Albert Camus) – so alienated that he was unmoved at his mother’s death

Changing in Attitudes towards Characters 18th Century: Nature of an individual is fixed and unalterable Characters always behave in a predictable fashion Their actions should be consistent with their personalities

Changing in Attitudes towards Characters Nowadays: People do not even have definite selves to alter The impact of Sigmund Freud and other psychologists A large part of human behaviour is shaped in the unconscious

Changing in Attitudes towards Characters Personality: more vulnerable to change from age, disease, neurosis, psychic shock or brainwashing Shifting bundles of impulses: Characters spurred to act by incomprehensible passions and urges Gratuitous act: a deed without cause and motive

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