(Solved by Humans)-After reading "Character" in the Week 4 lesson "Character

Question

After reading ?Character? in the Week 4 lesson "Character Types" (Be sure to click on "Different Kinds of Characters" at the top of your screen), write several paragraphs on the different character types?flat, round, static, and dynamic. Then, using characters from this week?s stories, identify a dynamic character and a static character and explain your reasoning.

Quick Checklist

1. Did you fulfill the assignment? ?Did you?notate the total TIME ON TASK for the assignment?
2. Is your entry the assigned length (five-hundred words or more)?
3. Is your entry grammatical and well written?
4. Does your entry show that you have read and considered the instructor?s posts on the discussion forum.
5. Does your entry show a mastery of the involved concepts?

The Different Kinds of Characters

Characters, of course, play different roles within stories. We identify with some characters, while we see other characters as somehow in conflict with the character or character with whom we identify. Some characters are more fully developed than others. Some characters change during the course of their stories, while others do not. Some characters are realistic, while others are more symbolic. We use the following terms to categorize characters:

• Protagonist:?The protagonist is usually the character with whom we most identify, or the central character. Often he or she may be considered the ?hero? of the story, but in some cases the protagonist is anything but a hero. In Brett Easton Ellis?s?American Psycho, the protagonist is just what the title says he is: a psychopath.
• Antagonist:?The antagonist, if there is one, is in some way in opposition to the protagonist. Often the antagonist is a villain, but that is not always the case. In some stories?ones in which the writers attempt to show that things are not always black and white, for instance?it is difficult for the reader to determine who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. An excellent example of this can be found in?Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood?s dark 1992 Western. The Eastwood and Gene Hackman characters are clearly in opposition to one another, although neither is wholly good or wholly evil. Occasionally, the antagonist isn?t even a person: in?Moby-Dick, the antagonist is a sperm whale; in?The Perfect Storm?the antagonist is nature, specifically the weather.
• Round Characters:?Round characters are well developed. We learn much about them from their actions, from exposition, or from their thoughts and/or words. We learn about their worries, their desires, their fears, their drives. Of course, there are varying degrees of roundness. When you read a story, determine who is the central character and jot down notes about what you learn about the character.
• Flat Characters:?We learn little about flat characters: they are often like cardboard cutouts. They do little more than fill out scenes, like extras in movies.
• Dynamic Characters: Dynamic characters undergo some significant change in the course of the story. The change can be subtle, or it can be drastic and profound. The change can be either positive or negative. Most often, the change is a direct result of the events of the story. A classic example of a dynamic character is Scrooge in?A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. At the beginning of the story, Scrooge is a bitter, heartless miser, but by the end he has become generous, warm-hearted, and joyful. (I just thought of another dynamic Christmas story character: the Grinch.)
• Static Characters:?Static characters remain essentially unchanged by the events of their stories. Often these are the peripheral characters, but sometimes the central character undergoes no lasting change. In ?Kubuku Rides (This is It),? by Larry Brown, the main character is an alcoholic who simply cannot change although her drinking is costing her everything that is important to her.
• Character Types:?In some stories we find familiar characters common to much fiction: the hooker with the heart of gold; the hard-nosed, to-hell-with-the-regulations cop; the absent-minded professor. Good fiction usually avoids character types in favor of distinct, realistic characters; in some cases, however, characters in good fiction may be viewed as types or even as symbols. We have a fine example of this coming up in a few weeks, but I don?t want to spoil your reading pleasure here. Character types are most often used in allegorical fiction (see page 30 in?Reader?s Guide). As you read the stories this week, make a list of significant characters and place them in the appropriate categories (remember: a character can be both round and static, or flat and static?try to determine whether a character fits into more than one category).