AP English Literature and Composition College Board

Character

Understanding Characters in Literature

Character Introduction

• Characters are the individuals who inhabit the world of the text and carry out the actions that form the narrative.
• Characters can be humans, animals, or even inanimate objects depending on the style and genre.
• The character or characters are vital for driving the narrative, influencing the plot and evoking certain emotions from the reader.

Analysis of Characters

• Character analysis involves exploring the personality traits, actions, and motivations of a character to better understand them.
• Remember to look beyond the obvious. Characters are often multi-faceted with hidden qualities and motivations that may require careful reading to unveil.
• Inferences about a character may be made from their dialogue, behaviour and relationships.

Character's Perspectives

• A character's perspective or point of view can greatly influence how events are depicted in a text.
• Their perspective can be shaped by their background, social class or personal experiences.
• A character's perspective can help to highlight certain aspects of the narrative or themes within the work.

Character's Motives

• Every character has motivations, or reasons for his or her actions. These motivations can often drive the plot.
• Well-crafted characters have complex motives that can reflect both their personality and their situation.
• It's essential to identify and discuss a character's motives in order to trace the development of the plot.

Revealing Characters Through Textual Details

• Not all character information is directly stated by the author. Often, details are revealed subtly through actions, dialogue or descriptions.
• These textual details can provide crucial cues about a character's personality, motivations and thinking.
• Similarly, attitudes towards other characters or reactions to situations can also provide deep insights about a character.

As the reader, your role is to piece together the character qualities and motivations hinted at by the author. This helps you not only to better understand the character, but also to form a more complete picture of the literary work as a whole.