How to Give Character Traits from a Literary Text

Lesson Objectives

Upon completion of this section, learners should be able to:

Recognize the requirements of characterization.
Determine the identities of the characters in the literary text.
Give proper character traits.
Recognize the various types of characters found in literary works.

What exactly is a character?

A character is a person, animal, created being, or thing in a novel, play, short story, or film.

In their literary works, authors create characters to help them convey their intended message. Depending on the author's intention, characters in a literary text are used to teach a lesson, entertain, educate, or persuade. Literary characters can be based on real people or figments of the author's imagination. For example, in Paul B. Vitta's Fathers of Nations, Ms. Fiona McKenzie, Dr. Afolabi, Professor Kimani, and others

Types of Characters

Characters are divided into two broad categories:

Major or Main Characters.
Minor Characters.

I. Major or Main Characters

Because the events revolve around them, these are the most important characters in the literary text. The major or main characters are further classified as follows:

Protagonist
Antagonist

Protagonist Character

This is the main character, for whom the reader will always have sentiments. The story's events will revolve around them. The decision made by this main character will be affected by the conflict either within them (psychological) or externally (from other characters, nature,technology, society, or even fate or God).

Antagonist Character

This is also another main character or group of characters who cause conflict for the protagonist. In most cases, they do not have a soft spot for the reader since they are viewed as villains who are up to no good. The antagonist helps to develop the plot of the story.

II.Minor Characters

These are the secondary characters in a story who, while less significant than the main characters, are still crucial to the plot because their actions advance it. They also impact the decisions the main characters make, either by helping or interfering with the conflict.

The major character will typically be more dynamic, changing and growing as the story progresses, whereas minor characters may be more static.

Dynamic characters are those who change dramatically throughout the story. They may learn a lesson, turn bad, or undergo a complex transformation.
Static characters remain consistent throughout the story. Their purpose may be to create or achieve tension, or they may not be intended to change. A major character may remain constant throughout the story.
A flat character lacks vibrant personality traits. They may have one or two main characteristics that are either all positive or all negative. They are the inverse of the round character. This character's weakness or strength has importance in the story.
A round character has distinct characteristics. They are the antithesis of flat characters. These characters may have a variety of traits, both positive and negative, that make them more interesting.
Stock characters are the ones that display stereotypical traits, such as mad scientists. Faithful sidekick and ambitious career person.
A foil is a character who has the polar opposite personality trait of another and is used to highlight or bring out another character, either positively or negatively. In most cases, the antagonist serves as the protagonist's foil.

It is important to remember that characters can be used symbolically to represent a universal quality.

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How to Identify Character Traits in a Literary Text

The following are some of the hints writers provide to help readers correctly identify character traits from the given text:

Through what the character says and how they say it. For Example , 'Oh,Professor Kimani , that was an order.' Dr. Afolabi is portrayed as authoritative through what he says to Professor Kimani in Paul B. Vitta's Fathers of Nations.
Through the character's behavior, feelings, and thoughts. For example, heads of state are portrayed as arrogant or pretentious when Pastor Chiamaka attempts to greet them and they pretend not to hear him. 'Pastor Chiamaka came next. 'Praise the Lord,' he began. All head of state pretended they had not heard him.' page 154. (Fathers of Nation by Paul B. Vitta)
Through what the other character says about the character the reader is interested in, President Bangoura, for example, is portrayed as wise; during his speech, he shares great insights, and at the end, the chair thanks him for wise words. 'President Bangoura, I thank you for those wise words, said the chair.' page 160 (Fathers of Nation by Paul B. Vitta)
Through what the author, playwright, or poet tells us about that character.For example, Minister Zinto, the Minister of Development Planning in an island country, is portrayed as deceitful or dishonest. This comes out when he is giving credit to the African Union for the cyclone of change that has hit Africa while making his remarks. The author through authorial intrusion, 'He was not being truthful,the African Union, as he well knew,was an international organization even more incompetent than the individual nations it united to make less competent.' page 151.(Fathers of Nation by Paul B. Vitta)

When describing a character trait, we use adjectives. Remember to say what the character is rather than what he or she is not.

Role of Characters in a Literary Text

Characters are not simply used in a literary text for the sake of using them; rather, they highlight key roles. Here are a few key roles to consider:

They aid in the development of specific themes in the text. While reading, one should consider which theme a particular character is developing as they interact with them in the text.
Characters also contribute to the plot's or story line's development. This implies that if some characters in a text are removed, there will be no story to read.
Characters also aid in the development of one another, either positively or negatively. This is especially noticeable with character traits.
Some characters are used to symbolically represent universal qualities. A reader should consider what a specific character represents in society.
Others provide textual sources of humor.