Characters

There can be met the main character (the protagonist) and his/her (antagonist) - the opposite, the other part of the conflict in a story/novel; (formal) one’s opponent /ə'pəυnənt/, f.ex. in a competition or fight.

Types of characters:

1) Characters may be round - complex and many-sided and may develop or change in the course of the story,described in great detail; when a character is shown as a many-sided individual the writer gives clues to his personality, offers details of his appearance, clothes, personal belongings, the setting in which he is placed.

2) flat – one-sided, do not normally develop or change; undifferentiated.

Characters may be drawn from within (through their thoughts, feelingsand actions) or from without (appearance clothes, speech).

There are two methods of characterization (character drawing):

1. direct - the narrator or another character tells the reader what the character is like, what he thinks, feels or does.

e.g. She was a woman of few ideas, with immense power of concentration.... and in spite of lean cheeks and hollows at his temples, seemed the master of perennial youth.

2. indirect description is often referred to as “the dramatic method”.

- through a dialogue (mindthe manner of speech, the language and the tone of speech, the character's attitude to the person he speaks to);

- through actions (analyze what the actions reveal about the character's motivations, aims, state of mind attitudes and feelings);

- through setting (see how the setting contributes to character drawing);

- with the help of expressive means and stylistic device?

The characters can be shown in action, in conflict with other characters, in conflict with themselves, in conflict with reality, etc.

Words to be used:

the hero (of) n plural heroes – 2. the man or boy who is the main character in a book, film, play etc

the heroine /'herəυɪn/ - 2. the woman or girl who is the main character in a book, film, play etc

to draw, to present

to depict - изображать

to portray /pɔ:'treɪ/ - создать образ

to delineate a character /dɪ'lɪnɪˌeɪt/ - изображать героя

to reveal, to unfold a character – раскрывать героя/характер

to observe, to examine, to explore a character – наблюдать, изучать героя

to draw a character from within / from without – изображать изнутри, через собственные поступки и психологию, или со стороны

a direct / indirect method of character drawing

to oppose / juxtapose the characters – противопоставлять / сопоставлять героев

to give a psychological insight into the character – дать глубокий психологический анализ, проникнуть в глубины характера

imagery – образность

to accuse of, to blame for, to criticize, to mock at, to satirize, to take sides with, to sympathize with, to take close to heart, to admire, to impose one’s point of view on the reader, to make no comment, to leave it for the reader to decide/judge

to approve of/disapprove of sb – to think that someone or sth (behaviour, idea, etc) is good, right, or suitable / bad or wrong

to take off one’s hat to sb – преклоняться перед к-л.; снимать шляпу перед к-л.

to be in two minds – колебаться

to pull the reader’s leg – разыгрывать к-л.

to provide with an intellectual/emotional challenge

to account for - explain

the author endows /ɪn'daυ/ (invests) the character/ the hero with the following traits (features, characteristics) – автор наделяет героя следующими чертами

a thruthful, life-like representation (presentation, depiction, portrayal) of a character – правдивое, жизненное описание героя

insight into the character, penetration into the character – проникновение в образ

the language / speech of the characters – речевая характеристика героев

Questions to be asked:

1. Who is the protagonist and the antagonist?

2. What is the conflict between them?

3. Give a one-sentence character sketch or a full character sketch of the protagonist and the antagonist (if any).

4. Name all the characters dividing them into round and flat. How are they drawn?

- (direct characterization) What are we told about the characters? What are their names and what do they look like? Does this have any significance?

- (indirect characterization) What are we shown about the characters through the way they act, say and think and by implication?

5. Draw character sketches of any other important characters (say what they are like, what they think, feel and do). Are the characters revealed fully or sketchily, directly or by implication? Are the secondary personages of vital importance too? What role do they play?

Describe all the characters using this table:

6. Do you see any contrasts between some characters (by means of the table)? What contrasts are the most striking?

7. How do you account for the lack of some characters’ description?

8. What imagery /'ɪmɪʤərɪ/ (expressive means and stylistic devices) is employed by the writer in describing his characters?

9. Do any of the characters develop or change? Are they round or flat?

10. What is the author’s attitude to his characters? How is it expressed in the story? Are they presented sympathetically, convincingly? State your reasons fully.