—Characterization—
After identifying the narrative point of view and discussing possible thematic seeds at the beginning of a novel or play, we begin analyzing the characters who inhabit the story. In the opening chapters of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, the third-person omniscient narrator describes Ashoke Ganguli's transition as a Bengali immigrant to the United States. As with all authors, Lahiri establishes the character of Ashoke by how he is physically described (i.e. description), what he does (i.e. action), and what he says (i.e. dialogue).
Sometimes authors give us a bevy of information when introducing a character; other times we have to piece together our initial portrait over several pages and chapters. Ultimately, we should get a clear picture of the major characters over the first third of the novel or play. When focusing on a single character like Ashoke, we provide quotes on a characterization matrix like the following for students to analyze in small groups:
​If we want students to analyze multiple characters at the beginning of a novel, we can assign particular characters to small groups and have them find examples of action, description, and dialogue to support their claims of how we should initially feel about that character. After they have gathered their evidence, they can present their character portraits to the rest of the class through a poster project or PowerPoint presentation:
Since there will be multiple groups presenting the same character in a large class, we discuss the subtle differences in each group's character statement and the various quotes from the text that they use to support their claims. After we have discussed our initial impressions of the characters, we introduce what E.M. Forster describes in Aspects of the Novel the concept of "round" and "flat" characters, meaning those that are dynamic and change over the course of the work and those that are static and do not. For the remainder of the work we then look for significant or subtle changes in those characters to assess a character's growth or lack thereof, and why the author would choose to depict a character a certain way.
While it is often beneficial to analyze characters in isolation, it is also important at times to compare and contrast characters. For instance, at the beginning of Kate Chopin's The Awakening, we have a description of the novel's protagonist, Edna Pontellier, as someone who does not fit the traditional role of a "mother-woman" that is epitomized by her friend, Adele Ratignolle:
From the passage we learn that Edna's husband, Leonce, is critical of her parenting and believes that "his wife failed in her duty to her children" even though he has difficulty articulating the exact reasons why. In comparison, Adele is "delicious in the role" of "mother-woman," a person who "idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels."
By carefully reading the passage, however, we know that Chopin intends for the reader to question this negative assessment of Edna, for her children are self-reliant and resilient because she does not coddle them. Instead of "crying to his mother's arms for comfort" after falling down, the Pontellier boys "would more likely pick himself up, wipe the water out of his eyes and the sand out of his mouth, and go on playing." When Edna and Adele gather to sew winter garments for their children, Chopin subtly pokes fun at Adele's concern about New Orleans' winters, where "treacherous drafts came down chimneys and insidious currents of deadly cold found their way through key-holes." In contrast, Edna is "quite at rest concerning the present material needs of her children" and only agrees to sew with Adele so as not "to appear unamiable."
Authors often juxtapose two characters like Edna and Adele to help convey larger themes in the work. The 2008 AP Literary Argument prompt describes a literary foil as a minor character that "possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of the minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character."
In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe creates Obierika—Okonkwo's thoughtful, calm, rational best friend—to stand in stark contrast to the proud, emotional Okonkwo, the novel's protagonist. After introducing the concept of literary foils, we have students work in small groups to complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the way Okonkwo feels about traditional Igbo customs and traditions compared to Obierika.
Students are required to provide evidence from the text to support their claims, and many will point to Obierika's refusal to participate in the killing of Ikemefuna, even though it had been decreed by Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. Obierika tells Okonkwo that he "did not want to" participate in the killing because he "had something better to do," which we should see as a criticism of his culture and gods. Okonkwo, on the other hand, wants to participate in the killing even though he is advised by Ogbuefi Ezeudu, one of the clan's elders, that he should not be involved because the boy "calls you his father."
As readers we should see Okonkwo's decision being the result of his fear of being seen as weak, not because he necessarily respects Igbo customs and traditions, which he violates in other occasions when it benefits him. In contrast, we should see Obierika as having the strength to stand up for what he believes in, even if it means going against those same customs and traditions. What unites these two men, however, is their belief in strength and courage, which each has demonstrated on the battlefield. We are meant to see each character much differently, however, in their domestic affairs, and Achebe makes it clear that we are meant to respect Obierika whereas we pity Okonkwo.
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When evaluating characters, we emphasize with our students that authors create these characters not just to populate their stories, but also to convey their themes. For us to understand the deeper meaning of any literary work, we have to understand the development of characters not just in isolation, but also in their relationship with others. How characters evolve based on those relationships ultimately reveals the author's intent and helps us understand and articulate what the AP would call "the meaning of the work as a whole."