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 spoen and inward dialogue that afford us the opportunity to see into
the characters! hearts and e"amine 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, #haracterization in $iterature
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 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 resolvin a central conflict or facin a major crisis. Most dynamic characters
tend to be central rather than peripheral characters, because resolvin the conflict is
the major role of central characters.
!tatic - A static character is someone who does not change over time" his or her
personality does not transform or evolve.
#ound - A rounded character is anyone who has a complex personality" he or she is
often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory person.
$lat - A flat character is the opposite of a round character. %his literary personality is
notable for one kind of personality trait or characteristic.
!toc& - !toc& characters are those types of characters who have
become conventional or stereotypicalthrouh repeated use in particular types of
stories. !toc& characters are instantly reconi'able to readers or audience members
(e.. the femme fatale, the cynical but moral private eye, the mad scientist, the ee&y
boy with lasses, and the faithful side&ic&). !toc& characters are normally one-
dimensional flat characters, but sometimes stoc& personalities are deeply conflicted,
rounded characters (e.. the *+amlet* type).
,rotaonist - %he protaonist is the central person in a story, and is often referred to
as the story-s main character. +e or she (or they) is faced with a conflict that must be
resolved. %he protaonist may not always be admirable (e.. an anti-hero)"
nevertheless s.he must command involvement on the part of the reader, or better yet,
empathy.
Antaonist - %he antaonist is the character(s) (or situation) that represents the
opposition aainst which the protaonist must contend. In other words, the antaonist
is an obstacle that the protaonist must overcome.
Anti-+ero - A major character, usually the protaonist, who lac&s conventional nobility
of mind, and who strules for values not deemed universally admirable. Duddy, in
Mordecai #ichler-s %he Apprenticeship of &uddy 'ravitz, is a classic anti-
hero. +e-s vular, manipulative and self-centered. /evertheless, Duddy is the
center of the story, and we are drawn to the challenes he must overcome and the
oals he see&s to achieve.
$oil - A foil is any character (usually the antaonist or an important supportin
character) whose personal 0ualities contrast with another character (usually the
protaonist). By providin this contrast, we et to &now more about the other
character.
!ymbolic - A symbolic character is any major or minor character whose very e1istence
represents some major idea or aspect of society. $or e1ample, in $ord of the (lies,
,iy is a symbol of both the rationality and physical wea&ness of modern civili'ation"
2ac&, on the other hand, symboli'es the violent tendencies (the Id) that 3illiam
4oldin believes is within human nature.
Direct presentation (or characteri'ation) - %his refers to what the spea&er
or narrator directly says or thinksabout a character. In other words, in a direct
characteri'ation, the reader is told what the character is li&e. 3hen Dic&ens
describes !crooe li&e this5 *I present him to you5 6bene'er !crooe....the
most tihtfisted hand at the rindstone, !crooe7 A s0uee'in, wrenchin,
raspin, scrapin, clutchin, covetous, old sinner7* - this is very direct
characteri'ation7
Indirect presentation (or characteri'ation) - %his refers to what the character says or
does. %he reader theninfers what the character is all about. %his mimics how we
understand people in the real world, since we can-t *et inside their heads*. In other
words, in an indirect characteri'ation, it-s the reader who is oblied to fiure out what
the character is li&e. And sometimes the reader will et it wron.

%en (Direct or Indirect) 3ays in which a 8haracter 8an Be #evealed
a. By psycholoical description.
b. By physical description.
c. By probin what s.he thin&s.
d. By what s.he says.
e. By how s.he says it.
f. By what s.he does.
. 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:
9. :iterary characters may embody more than one of these character types at the same
time. A dynamic character may also be the antaonist, and a protaonist can also be,
say, a flat and stoc& character (i.e. the one-dimensional hero).
;. +ere-s a very common mistake5 while characters are often round and dynamic, that
does not mean these two terms mean the same thin. %he former refers to a
character-s complexity, while the latter refers to a character-s development over
time. !tudents also ma&e this mista&e with flat and static characters.