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Literature vocabulary · Character and Characterization

Character

Meaning in literature, with examples

/ˈkærəktə/nounCore term

In literature, character means: A person, or sometimes an animal or creature, who takes part in the events of a story, play or poem.

In Turkish: karakter, kişi, anlatı kişisi

How it is used

Used constantly in reviews, essays and book club talks: the main character, a minor character, a likable or complex character. Readers identify with or relate to characters; writers create, develop and portray them.

Example sentences

  1. Which character did you find most convincing, and why?

  2. The minor characters in the novel are almost more memorable than the hero.

Common collocations

  • main character
  • minor character
  • develop a character
  • character arc
  • relate to a character
  • characterizationThe ways a writer creates and reveals a character's personality, through description, actions, speech, thoughts and other characters' reactions.
  • protagonistThe main character of a story, whose goals, problems and choices drive the plot and whom the reader follows most closely.
  • antagonistThe character or force that opposes the main character and creates the central conflict of a story.
  • round characterA complex, many-sided character with mixed qualities and believable motives, who can surprise the reader in a convincing way.
  • flat characterA simple character built around one main quality or idea, who can be summed up in a sentence and does not change or surprise the reader.

More terms: Character and Characterization

Practise with graded reading

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