

The most important trait of the protagonist is that they absolutely MUST do something – they must move the story forward. The protagonist is most typically the main character in the story. Here are the types of characters that you might encounter in your reading. Characters can be good, characters can be bad, insignificant, or even stereotypical. There are several different types of characters, each playing a small part in one very large puzzle. Names: Consider a character named “Problem Pete”, or one named “Little Alice”, what sort of imagery does this convey? Do you find yourself making assumptions based on those names? Of course you do, that is exactly what the author wants to happen.Descriptions: How do those who interact with the character describe them? How does the character describe themselves? These descriptions can be physical, they can be judgemental, even emotional.What do they say: Does the character appear to have a strong grasp of education? Do they use a lot of slang? Do they use generational phrases? Perhaps they speak as though they are a detective or a cheerleader? Do they say things like ‘the bee’s knees’ or ‘blessed be’? Many books do not have the added advantage of having photos or pictures, so the author must paint the character using words – words have value.Actions: How does the character act? How do their actions affect those around them? Are they the type to thwart wrongdoings? Or are they devious and mischievous? Similar to real life, the way that a character acts says a lot about who they are.Motivation: What are the underlying reasons for why the character being analysed acts the way they do? Why so they make the choices they make? Do they act impulsively? Do they act ethically?.

Here are the things to look at when completing a character analysis: Luckily, for the majority of us, conducting a character analysis doesn’t require a strong knowledge of the human psyche or Freudian theories. It requires a certain degree of investigative theory and a keen desire to understand the ‘personality’ of a person who isn’t really a person, but rather someone else’s creative process.
#INTERACTIVE CHARACTER WEB STORYWRITING HOW TO#
How to do a character analysisĪnalyzing a character, particularly an interesting character, can be fun. The writer may not have necessarily come outright and states that the character is strong, or brave, or even worthy, but you are able to conclude that a character trait exists simply by analyzing the behaviours of a character in the book. More often than not, experienced writers tend to not directly mention the traits of the characters in their books it is up to the reader to be mindful in catching these traits as the storyline progresses.Ĭharacter analysis means not only picking up on the subtle hints that the author may use to develop their characters, but also reading between the lines and noticing the tiny details that might, at first, seem insignificant.įor example, you might encounter a passage in a book, like the one below, which draws attention to an external personality trait.Īs Jessica gazed upon the tiny heart shaped pendant, her pulse quickened and she could barely contain her giddiness as she asked Tyler to fashion it around her neck.Ī different example may be a character who has gone through several catastrophic experiences in the storyline, but ends up experiencing a proverbial happy ending. Taking the time to clearly analyze these elements will allow you to begin to develop the framework of the character’s inward and outward qualities. The writer may even reveal specific character traits, being the behaviour, motivation, personality or even relationship habits of the character. * All Partners were chosen among 50+ writing services by our Customer Satisfaction Team We have contacted some of them and reviewed their work: As a reader, you are usually capable of deducing the age of the character, their body size, their ethnicity and many other relevant characteristics.Ĭharacter analysis like any other written assignment can be completed with the help of experienced academic writers. Typically, an author will use great detail when describing the outward appearance of the character. When analyzing a character, it is crucial to remain critical, ask concise analysis questions, and base your conclusions about each character being analyzed on the three areas mentioned earlier. This will include consideration of additional elements such as the role they play in the story and the various conflicts they experience. By definition, a character analysis is the process of evaluating the specific traits of a literary character.
