Opening Up the Character Analysis Toolkit
Helping our students develop their mind-reading skills will benefit them both as readers and as social creatures. My students are in fifth grade and will soon be off to middle school. There, the ability to perceive the motivation of other adolescents could serve them well as they begin to define themselves and search out their place in the social hierarchy. Analyzing character in a variety of texts will not only make them more critical and insightful readers, but it will hopefully bring a deeper understanding of the text and themselves.
Narrative Voice, Focalization, and Dialogue
Let us begin with Narrative Voice. This narration itself can characterize the protagonist. When stories are told in the first person, the reader must evaluate the state of mind of the character. In Walter Dean Myers' Monster 1 1, for instance, the tale is told in the first person, in the voice of the main character. This gives the reader an authentic and very raw experience of this young man who is incarcerated for the first time. When Steve describes the sounds and scenes of violence in the prison, the reader feels the fear and desperation that he experiences, first-hand. However, the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" 1 2 provides quite another perspective. We quickly get the feeling that this character is unstable and that his account of the events may be unreliable. The perceptions and views that he shares with the reader are obviously irrational, as he contradicts himself and reacts in very strange ways.
The third person point of view allows the writer to share information and the perspectives of many different characters and settings. A classic example of this is found in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice 1 3. It is clear that Austen is writing Elizabeth Bennett's own story, but Elizabeth is not the narrator. Also known as the omniscient point of view, it provides many opportunities for reader reflection on character flaws and traits that can be demonstrated through actions and consequences. A good example of a strong use of this type of narration can be found as we consider the character of Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 1 4 Edmund's weaknesses cause him to make choices that are none too savory, yet the reader follows his journey as he reflects on his poor choices and struggles to redeem himself. The writer's ability to provide insights into the other central characters' feelings and interactions with Edmund create a fuller portrait of who he really is.
Focalization is a term that was coined by a French narrative theorist named Gerard Genette 1 5 . It is the narrative technique that allows the story to be told from a given perspective. Essentially it is the "who sees" rather than the "who tells" a given story: the perspective through which the story is presented. If the narrative is said to be "externally focalized", the narrator tells only of visible, external aspects of the story and characters. In contrast, "internally focalized" narratives provide information about the feelings and inner thoughts of characters in a story.
Dialogue is another literary device that can be a very clear way in which the author can reveal character traits and emotions. It is the quoted lines of give and take of conversations between individuals in the story. It is often up to the reader to determine whether or not the conversations are reliable indications of the feelings and motivations of a character(s). In this instance, the setting and circumstances surrounding the conversation are crucial to the reader's ability to analyze a character's behavior and intentions. This notion of setting includes not only the time and place, but on a deeper level, the environment and the context in which it occurs. For example, in Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" 1 6, the setting changes several times, as the narrator and his victim navigate their way from the streets to the catacombs, and the dialogue changes with it. The racing mind of the narrator is reflected in his speech, as is the victim's, as he is plied with wine and compliments. There is great depth of feeling that is conveyed, and not just because of the words uttered by the characters. Indeed, it is the way in which they are said, and the way that they are received.
The Dramatic Monologue is a first- person example of the way in which an individual character can be revealed. This type of dialogue is like a private conversation directed at the reader, often clarifying a specific situation or event and the character's emotional reaction to it. In the poem "Mother to Son" 1 7, the conversation is clearly a mother speaking to her son as she attempts to give him advice about the journey that is life. Her dialect and word choice speak loudly about her own background and life experiences, her intent, and her message. However, in other monologues, such as "My Last Duchess " 1 8, the poet's word choice and the language of the time period make it more difficult to glean meaning. The reader may know who is speaking, but his message, intent, and audience require more careful study.
Static and Dynamic Characters
In encountering characters in literature, the reader will recognize that some characters can be categorized as static characters. These characters do not seem to change much during the course of the story, despite the events. We see this in the classic children's story by Heinrich Hoffman, "Phoebe Ann, the Proud Girl". 1 9 In this illustrated series of cautionary tales directed at children, a young girl continues with her prideful behavior, refusing to change, despite the drastic physical consequences, and reactions of others. Contemporary examples of static characters include James Bond, Joey from Friends, and children's TV characters such as Dora the Explorer.
On the other hand, dynamic characters are characters that are indeed changed by the events and circumstances that befall them in the course of a tale. These alterations are not merely physical, but reflect a change from within the character. In the case of "Slovenly Betsy" 2 0, when she was laughed at and shamed for her sloppy and disheveled ways, it caused a major change in her character. This change is evident to the reader in text and visually, because the story is illustrated and the exterior change in her appearance is clear. A more common example is Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. 2 1 The character we meet in the beginning of the story is significantly affected by his experience with the three different spirits, and is a very different character at the end.
Many qualities and changes in people and characters are extremely difficult to determine. In fact, today we have experts who make their living by sharing their expertise as people- readers in real life, in very serious situations. Jury selection experts and behavioral psychologists can help to determine when people are being truthful and when they are not. One such expert is Dr. Paul Ekman 2 2, whose groundbreaking work actually was the basis of a television series called Lie to Me. His research began with the Darwinian theory that there are seven basic human emotions that are universal: anger, disgust, contempt, fear, surprise, happiness, and sadness. Through his research around the world (including very isolated regions in Tibet) he began to realize that when we experience powerful emotions, it is unconsciously demonstrated on our faces with micro-expressions. Micro-expressions are very brief (1/25 th to 1/15 th of a second) facial effects that momentarily reveal our innermost feelings. This work then led to the development of a system called the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). In it, every human facial expression is classified by virtue of its use of one or more of the 43 human facial muscles. Although Ekman has worked with a wide variety of law enforcement agencies and private companies, even he is cautious about the use of his work. His techniques only prove when someone is lying. It does not reveal the reason(s) behind the untruth. Context and situational components are still important to be included in the assessment of human behavior, just as it is in literature. Dr. Ekman has published several books and maintains a website (www.ekmaninternational.com) that is easily accessible and is filled with resources about his techniques.
Technology: The Merging of Character and Cyberspace
Now that we have explored the devices of reading people in literature and real life, let us also consider a merging of the two: the world of technology. Whether we are proponents of it or not, the young people of today are permanently submerged in the culture of cyberspace. Even the youngest children are "plugged in", so to speak, playing and interacting with computers. The advent of social networking and online gaming has given a whole new meaning to the word "friend". Games that allow custom personalization of characters provide an interesting way for young people to participate in role playing and interacting. In most interactive games, the narrative perspective is provided by the camera: it does the seeing for the player. Aside from gaming, adolescents can email and instant message, or work on a project collaboratively with an online friend anywhere in the world. This type of simulated interaction has opened a world of issues for research in social and cognitive psychology, as well as questions about internet safety.
While many adults seem to feel that teens are spending too much time online, there is evidence that there are many positive outcomes. In their report of a three- year study at the University of Southern California, 2 3 researchers found that the youth of today use technology to open doors to new social realms, self-paced online learning, and independence. This long- term study investigated the media habits of teens and the way in which they used technology such as social networking and video sharing sites (such as YouTube), online games, and mobile phones. Results showed that the vast majority of users were not interacting with strangers, but were actually extending already existing friendships. Some used it to delve more deeply into personal interests or to add to their own repertoire of media skills, and some to learn independently from others. The opportunity to put their work "out there" for others to see, to add to, and to receive feedback upon was instrumental to the development of their strengths and projects. This seems to be a strong argument that using technology in the adolescent years might just be another avenue for searching for identity and "trying on" roles in a fictional world.
Taking the above discussion into account, I would also like to respond to the critics in Gillespie's article entitled "Why Literature Matters" 2 4. Literature matters a great deal because it serves a myriad of purposes for us all. As we immerse ourselves in the world of fiction and fictional characters, we can escape and imagine life in places very different from our own. We can learn from the experiences and consequences of a character's actions and then reflect upon our own values and motivations. This activity happens as early as opening our first books. Children's books teach values and lifelong skills such as sharing, making decisions, and how to get along with others in a difficult world. For my fifth- grade students, by studying character in coming of age stories and poems, they can experiment with their own identities and ask themselves an extremely important question: "Who Am I?"
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