Characters can be either dynamic or static AND either round or flat.
Dynamic
- someone who undergoes an important, internal change because of the action in the plot
o Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol à at first, he is mean and bitter and then he becomes generous, kind, beloved by end of the story
o Harry, Ron, and Hermione from Harry Potter à all learn something about themselves, as well as each other because of their strength and courage when fighting Voldemort
Static
- does not undergo significant change
- literary character that remains basically unchanged throughout a work
- their personalities remain essentially stable throughout the course of a story
- most commonly secondary characters
o The 3 wicked stepsisters from Cinderella; nasty and selfish throughout the story and their personalities do not change from beginning to end
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Round
- characters that are complex and realistic
- represent a depth of personality which is imitative of life
- frequently possess both good and bad traits
- may react unexpectedly or become entangled in their own interior conflicts
- fully developed over course of a story physically, mentally, AND emotionally
- detailed enough to seem real
o Bella from the Twilight series à the reader knows a ton about her. You could describe her personality traits and physical descriptions, as well as go into detail about her emotional state
Flat
- distinguished by its lack of a realistic personality
- description may be detailed and rich in defining characteristics, it falls short of the complexity associated with a round character
o Roger from LOTF à cruel throughout whole story and only traits are his cruelness and bloodthirstness
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Does the character change?
DYNAMIC – YES
STATIC – NO
Do you know a lot about the character?
ROUND – YES
FLAT – NO