Evaluating Character

It is unreasonable to expect that the characters of fiction will necessarily be close approximations of the kind of people that we know but we can expect the author's creations to be convincing and credible on their own terms. If they are not, such characters can be counted as relative failures, for our interest in them will surely flag.

Consistency. Character should not behave in ways contrary to his or her nature.

≠ Characters cannot undergo development and change (plots of many works are organized precisely upon just such a possibility). Such change should be well motivated by events are consistent in some basic and identifiable way with the nature of the character.

Thus, we should ask ourselves whether the motive for a particular action or series of actions is adequate, justified, and probable, given what we know about that character. If “+”(even in the context of behavior that at first glance seems puzzling or confusing)the principle of consistency has not been violated.

Analyzing Character

1. Who is the protagonist of the work and who (or what) is the antagonist? Describe the major traits and qualities of each.

2. What is the function of the work's minor characters?

3. Identify the characters in terms of whether they are flat and round, dynamic or static.

4. What methods does the author employ to establish and reveal the character? Are the methods primarily of showing or of telling?

5. Are the actions of the characters property motivated and consistent?

Are the characters of the work finally credible and interesting?