What is it about a character that makes him or her so memorable?
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Hero or villain, damsal or duke, rebel or royal, the characters in a story are the author's greatest assets in the quest to win the heart, mind and soul of the reader.
How that character is manipulated by the plot, and how he/she in turn manipulates it right back, that is the key to story telling.We have been exploring characters in our close reading and class discussions, and we will also, from different angles and approaches, analyze how stories impact readers and how the author creates a unique story to entice and inspire the reader in our Written Task assessments. Each one of you represents a very unique and original set of backstories and experiences. You bring these in to each new experience you encounter, including reading a novel. Because of that, how you interpret stories and respond to and relate to characters will always be different. Your culture, your virtues and values, your personality and preferences and past experiences will color the lenses through which you read and interpret literature.
I will admit that I have always rejected "Prince Charming" type romantic heroes. I liked fairy tales, but there were times that I found myself more interested in the villains than the heroes; why were they the way they were? Did they have a backstory that explained their choices, perhaps? Some dark and tragic experiences that formed them into the so-called witches, monsters, and evil stepmothers they seemed to be? I fell in love with the Rhett Butlers, Heathcliffs, Rochesters, Darcys and Edmond Dantes of literature. There was just something alluring to me about the not-quite-perfect-and-sometimes-even-jerkish-more-accurately-described-as-anti-hero type heroes. Their flaws were
fantastic. Their brooding? I found it beautiful. And the fact that they were in desperate need of redemption or restoration? Relatable! Many readers, however, do NOT find solace in these so-called "Byronic" heroes. They prefer the sensitive more thoughtful types who sacrifice for the greater good; never compromising their ethics and values, but instead, choosing always to stand for right in the face of evil and temptation.
Okay, I like them too. But given the choice between reputable and the rakish? I'll go with rakish every time; both as a reader, and as a writer!
Recognizing your own leanings as a reader is, in fact, the first step in becoming a thorough and credible literary critic (critic in this case meaning someone who engages in the act of dissection, evaluation or appreciation of literature). We must acknowledge the fact that we
do look at everything through a unique perspective that can and will color our evaluation. That is not a bad thing, it's a human thing. Recognizing it and graciously allowing for other possible interpretations is a
professional thing.
Okay, so we've acknowledged that we do have a limited view--a unique and valid one, but limited as we, in each of our own unique perspectives, are limited. Now; how do we become more comfortable and confident in that adventure that is dissecting, exploring and detecting as readers?
You know the answer. It's the same answer for everything you seek to do well: you practice.
We have learned in class that there are various, set ways that authors can reveal characters to us in literature: 1. By showing us what the character says 2. By showing us how the character behaves in a situation 3. By allowing us to hear the character's thoughts and 4. By letting us hear what others say or think about that character. Depending upon the genre and the point of view chosen, the author may not have access to all of these methods. So...how do the great authors put these tools into action? How have you seen Markus Zusak and Charlotte Bronte use these methods as they have brought their characters to life on the pages you are reading in
The Book Thief and
Jane Eyre? Both of these books have MEMORABLE characters, that is for sure! But what makes them so memorable?
Below, I have included a link to a blog called Now Novel. It outlines seven character lessons we can learn from seven great novels. Read over it carefully. For your blog response, you will do the following:
1. Read the article CAREFULLY. Here is the link:
https://www.nownovel.com/blog/character-description-examples-famous-authors/
2. Choose one of the main characters from the novel you are currently reading in class (Seniors: Hans, Rudy, Liesel, Death, Rosa, or Max Juniors: Jane or Mr. Rochester)
4. Pull text from your novel that you believe really "shows" that character.
5. Using the blog article as a guide, explain how Zusak or Bronte is bringing that character to life in the example you chose.
Voila! By reading and understanding how characters are developed in well written stories, you not only learn how to analyze literature more insightfully, you also learn how to write characters better in your own creative work...should you desire.
Who are your favorite characters in literature? What makes them so special? Certainly, an effective writer helps bring them to life for us on the pages (and perhaps, eventually, on the big screen) but remember: reading is an interaction. Sometimes, who a character
is to us as we read has more to do with who
we are as the reader. Perhaps a more poignant question to explore is, what is it about ME that makes me drawn to specific types of characters and repelled by others?
Happy reading!
