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Elements of Fiction
Character and Setting
Character
The People in the story who are intertwined and developed through the plot and involved in the events.
How we view characters:
We observe actions, what they say and how they say it.
Character Breakdown:
Protagonist/ Antagonist
We look for inferences through connections and links to their significance and function to the story.
We observe and relate description and speech to understand the character.
Major/Minor
Flat/Round
Protagonist/Antagonist
Protagonist:
Antagonist:
The central or main character. Traditionally this character has been a hero- but in postmodern story telling we have seen the advent of the antihero (described in more detail in next slide).
The opposition against which the protagonist must contend. Could be:
A person An animal A physical setting An institution An ideology Traditionally a considered the villain.
Protagonist:
The Anti-hero
In traditional narratives the protagonist is often depicted as a hero who exhibit qualities that are admirable and almost always acts in a noble fashion. He/She is sometimes royal/noble and larger than life.
But the Post-modern movement identified the term anti-hero who is a protagonists who does not exhibit heroic qualities. He/She can sometimes be unlikeable or unsympathetic in manner, dress, speech or ideology. But he still stands as the main character of the narrative.
Some good examples of an anti-hero: 1940s detective stories, comic book characters like the Comedian from The Watchman series, and Gollum from the Lord of the Rings series.
Major/Minor Characters
Major Characters:
Minor Characters:
An important figure, central to the action or theme (ex: the protagonist, antagonist) Dynamic (changing)
Work to illuminate the major characters. Often static (unchanging) throughout the narrative.
Flat/Round Characters
Round Characters:
Flat Characters:
Fully developed characters, often the major characters of the narrative.
Un-developed and/or stereotypical characters, often the minor characters of the narrative.
But these categories are touchstones:
Many times, especially in more modern narratives characters break boundaries and do not fit neatly into these categories. Often times the point of the narrative is to do just that.
When this happens think about why the characters refuse to be neatly categorized. What purpose does that serve to the plot and/or structure of the narrative?
Characterization:
By which writers present and reveal characters.
Description of character through action and dialogue. Stock Characters: Recognizable through their characterization, presented as standard stereotypes who are easily recognizable.
These characters are formulaic, we know what to expect of them and how to identify them. (Ex: romantic or action hero, villain, people of certain ethic and cultural identities).
Post-modern narratives often reject stock characters because they represent out-dated and offensive stereotypes.
Techniques of Characterization:
How the writer presents and reveals characters
Narrative summary without judgment.
Narrative description with implied or explicit judgment. Surface details of dress or physical appearance.
Character actions: what they do
Character speech: what they say Character consciousness: what they think and feel
Setting
The time and place the story happens. The place and location of action as well as the historical time it happened.
What setting does:
Provides a historical and cultural backdrop and enhances our understanding of character.
Can symbolize the emotional state of characters. Influences how we understand the story i.e can become symbolic. Conflict can come from the setting. Can be symbolic or representative of character, conflict or theme.
