The characters of the story: TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS !!

The stories are a literary genre that are part of the narrative and that have some own characteristics and very well defined. In a small space of time, the author must create a powerful story, with rhythm and with a good structure to catch the reader. The characters in the story are the ones who star in the plot and, therefore, they have to be created in a very concise way so that the work makes sense and is easy to follow. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to show you the types of characters in the story and their characteristics so that you can better learn to detect how the protagonists of short stories work.

Index

1. Introduction to the characters of the story
2. All types of characters in the story
3. Characteristics of the characters in the story

There are many characteristics of the stories that make this genre recognizable and different from the rest of the narrative. The definition of a good character is essential so that the author can develop his story in a short period of time and be effective. When we talk about the characters in the stories we are referring to the engines that drive the action, those that

The characters are those elements that live within the fictional universe created by the author and that, therefore, drink directly from the plot. There are characters more relevant to the future of fiction and others whose role is less important. However, in a story all the characters that appear have a reason for being there: it may be to influence the main protagonist or to create an action that influences the development of the plot.

We must not forget that parts of a story are divided into presentation, middle and end, therefore, the characters will be those who are influenced by this structure and by the plot. Their influence may be greater or lesser but they are all part of history in some way.

As we have already mentioned, the universe of the story is a fictional universe. This means that the characters that inhabit its lines can be both real, imaginary or even fantastic characters. A reader, when he begins to read the pages, is open to the rules of the game of literature and, therefore, Although the characters do not comply with the verisimilitude rule, this does not prevent the reader from immersing himself in the reading.

Image: Slideshare

Now that we know what the characters are like, next we will discover the different types of characters in the story. Traditionally, these elements of the story have been divided into classifications that take into account different aspects in the development of the narrative.

The characters of the story according to their protagonism

Depending on how relevant the character is for the development of the plot, we find different types:

• Main or protagonist: is the most important character in the story, the one who is part of the plot at all times and who is given the most attention. These characters are usually the ones who experience the plot and action of the narrative and, normally, they undergo an evolution.
• Secondary: are the characters that appear in the story but have less importance in the plot. Normally, they influence the protagonist or perform some action that changes the plot. They are agents of change that are essential for the plot but their importance as a character is not so relevant.
• Antagonist: it does not always appear but, when it does, it is the character that goes against the ideal that the protagonist symbolizes. He is the main character's opposing force and his influence is vital to the development of the plot.

According to its transformation

We have already indicated that, in general, the protagonist of a story usually undergoes a transformation during the story. And depending on the evolution that this has, we find different types of characters:

• Static: they are those that do not evolve during the story and, therefore, that are exactly the same at the beginning as at the end of the plot. In general, these characters are secondary since they do not have as much importance in the text.
• Dynamic: they are the ones that do undergo an evolution or change throughout the narrative. This change may be positive or negative, it will depend on the author, but it is not the same character who begins with the story as the one who ends it.

According to the image of the character

Depending on the image in which the character is inspired, we find different types that are worth knowing. There are usually these:

• Archetype: the archetypal character is the one who embodies some aspect of the human being in an exaggerated way. It may be that it is a symbol of some virtue (goodness, innocence, etc.) or of some defect (envy, evil, arrogance, etc.) and it is always done in an exaggerated way.
• Stereotype character: it is about a type of character that are clichés of types of people that are in society. Instead of embodying only a virtue or a defect, they are those who embody typologies of people such as, for example, the corrupt ruler, the brave hero, the funny man, the despot king, etc.

Story characters according to their characterization

Depending on the type of characterization that the author has given to his character, we find two well differentiated types:

• Flat characters: they are those that have very essential characteristics that serve for the reader to identify the character.
• Round characters: They are those that are described in a much more detailed and profound way so that the reader can know much more fully what it is like both externally and psychologically. In general, the main characters are also round since they are the ones that appear the most throughout the narrative.

Image: SlideShare

Now we are going to talk about the characteristics of the characters in the story. We have already seen that there are different characters that we can use in the narratives but, in addition to This, it is important to know some essential elements that will allow us to delve better into the characters. Here we discover the most notable characteristics.

Well presented physically and psychologically

Not all the characters that appear in a story must have a good description, however, the protagonist and antagonist (if there is) they do have to have a good presentation that allows the reader to get an idea of ​​how it is both physical and psychologically. We must not forget that the characters present an evolution during the narrative and, therefore, to fully understand it it is essential that we know the main character well.

It depends on the plot

Another important aspect is that the characters in the story will be one way or another depending on the plot and the subgenre of the narrative. That is, if we are facing a children's story, these characters will have elements of the children's imagination such as fantasy, positive values, and so on. On the other hand, if we are faced with a dramatic, horror or comedy tale, the characters that will appear in Each of these stories will fulfill their own characteristics that will help to better create the environment and the plot.

The importance of language

If you are going to create a story in which the characters are going to speak, that is, if you are going to introduce dialogue, you have to be very clear about the character's type of speech. And it is that in literature we find some characters who speak in a higher way, others more colloquial, others who mix dialects, and so on. The way of speaking a character has is something very striking because it characterizes him a lot.

They have a mission

The character in the story is a character who has a specific mission. Unlike other genres such as the novel, this character serves more as an instrument for the author who wants to communicate something or launch a specific idea. Therefore, this character is usually much more archetypal than in the novels since the objective is for him to fulfill a specific mission that is stipulated by the author himself.

The figure of the narrator

In the case of the story, many types of narrators can be used, however, if the first person narrator is chosen, we must bear in mind that we are giving the voice to the protagonist. Therefore, quickly detect what narrator type we meet is essential to be able to understand what the characters are like and what kind of story we have in front of us.

If you want to read more articles similar to The characters in the story: types and characteristics, we recommend that you enter our category of Literary concepts.

• Piglia, R. (2000). Thesis on the story. Guaraguao, 4 (11), 17-19.
• Cortázar, J. (1971). Some aspects of the story.
• Goyanes, M. B. (1949). The Spanish tale in the 19th century. Superior Council of Scientific Investigations.