Character Analysis I. Different Types of 【T1】______ Protagonists and 【T2】______ Major and minor characters — Foils

Character Analysis
    Good morning, everyone. Today, we will continue our lecture series about literary studies, particularly about writing a character analysis. In college literature classes, students are required to write numerous essays because instructors expect their students to demonstrate not only an understanding of the core concepts being taught but also of the assigned readings. One type of essay that you will be required to write is a character analysis, which is an essay that examines one or more major or minor characters in a story or play. Today, I am going to tell you some basic things you need to know about writing a character analysis.
    First of all, to write a good character analysis, we should know about the different types of literary characters. Characters can be protagonists or heroes. That’s the main character around whom most of the work revolves.  Characters can also be antagonists, the person who the protagonist is against. This is often the villain, but could be a force of nature, set of circumstances, an animal, etc. And then we have major characters and minor characters. Major characters are the main characters. They dominate the story. Often there are only one or two major characters. Minor characters are those who help tell the major character’s tale by letting major characters interact and reveal their personalities, situations, stories. We also have foils. These are the people whose job is to contrast with the major character. This can happen in two ways.  One: The foil can be the opposite of the major character, so the major’s virtues and strengths are that much “brighter” in reflection. Two: The foil can be someone like the major character, with lite versions of the major’s virtues and strengths so that the major comes off as even stronger. Above all, we have round characters and flat characters. Round character means the character has more than one facet to their personality. They are not just a hardcore gamer, but they also play basketball on the weekends. On the other hand, flat character is the one who is only viewed through one side. This is the hardcore gamer and that’s all there is to the character.
    As we now understand the different types of characters in the story, we should also understand that protagonists can follow literary patterns or types. The first one is the anti-hero, for example, Holden Caufield. This is the guy your mother would not want you or your sister to date.  They are often graceless, inept, and actually dishonest. The second is the tragic hero like Oedipus and Macbeth.  This is the guy whose bad end is a result of flaws within himself. Thirdly, we have the romantic hero, such as Don Juan, and James Bond. This is the guy the girls all swoon over. He gets the girls, even when he doesn’t want to keep them.  And we also have the modern hero like Chuck Bartowski. This is the average guy who is put in extraordinary circumstances and rises to the challenge. Finally, we have the Hemingway hero. This is the guy who has been in a war, drinks too much, gets his girlfriend pregnant, and she dies. Or guys like him.
    Thirdly and also the last part of my talk is about how we can analyze a literary character for a college essay. When it comes to knowing just how to write a college character analysis essay, you cannot go wrong by using this tried and true structure.
    First, begin by describing the character you have chosen for your study and why you chose to analyze him or her. Your opening paragraph should end with your essay’s thesis. The thesis is the main idea you want to convey in your paper. In one or two sentences, explain the point that your essay will make about the character.
     Then, identify types of characters. It is important that your essay defines what type of character you are writing about. Is your character the protagonist, the hero, or the antagonist, the villain? Did you choose a major or a minor character? Is your character a round one or a flat one?
     Next, defining traits. Discuss the traits that define and motivate your character. These traits can range from physical things, such as your character walks with a limp, to psychological quirks, like an intense hatred of the upper class. Think about how the character relates to the other players in the story. Is he/she kind or cruel, moral or immoral when dealing with others? Is the character like or unlike the other characters in the text? Remember to include discussions of both the strengths and weaknesses of your character. Few characters are all good or all bad.
    Fourthly, analyzing actions. Analyze how the defining traits of your character influence his or her actions and in turn influence the action of the plot. Does the character act without thinking or does he/she give careful consideration before taking action? How do the actions of the character influence the other players in the story? Do your character’s choices drive the action of the plot? If the character’s choices do not influence the action of the plot, why is he/she important to the story? What would be lost if that character was not a part of the book?
    Fifthly, relationship to the conflict. What is the conflict that drives your character? This has the potential to be many things. Is the conflict external or internal? Is the conflict against other people or against something abstract, such as fate or evil? Discuss how your character attempts to solve this conflict and what that says about him or her.
     Last but not least, summarize your ideas. Your ending paragraph is your chance to restate the main points of your paper.  Most teachers do not want to see new ideas at the end of your paper. You want to paraphrase the main ideas you have made previously and restate your thesis.
    OK. I have outlined the basic types of characters and literary patterns of protagonists for you. I also introduced to you a six-step method of writing a character analysis essay. Next time, we shall talk about theme and motif in stories and how to write an essay on motif.