Define Characterization and its kinds.

Ans.

Introduction

Aristotle points out only six important parts or elements of tragedy. In order of importance they are the plot, character, thought, diction, melody and spectacle. Leaving aside the spectacle the novel or fiction maintains all the five elements of the drama. The fiction in place of the spectacle contains the novelist’s point of view or his philosophy of life. It means how he treats life, hopefully or worth living or desperately. not to be lived at all. In order to merit Aristotle gives the first place to the plot. He has assigned the second place of importance to the character. In his own words, “The plot, then is the first principle as it were the soul of tragedy, character holds the second place.”

What is Character ?

Character means a distinctive mark. It means the nature of a certain object. For example, the power of burning is the character of fire and cold is the character of water. Characterization is the art of portrayal of a character, who is the individual. In a literary piece of work like the drama or fiction the character is the person who performs the role.

In drama the character is called the dramatic personae. In fiction he is the person. who suffers the plot. he is the performer (doer) of the action. The novelist develops the theme through the character.

Kinds of Characters

W. H. Hudson divides the characters into two broad divisions They are first the flat characters and secondly the round characters. The flat and round characters have been represented as the two major division of the static and dynamic characters.

A Flat Character: A flat character is the hero of the simple plot. He concentrates himself to a single theme or idea. He is an irregular character, a simple soul. His intention is only one. Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist is centered down to the disclosure of Oliver’s identity and his well being. In David Copperfield Mrs. Micawber is a flat character. Her sole intention is to live with her husband. She supports Mr. Micawber’s right or wrong all the time. Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel is a flat character where as Fitzpiers Darcy is dynamic and well-rounded character.

The Round or Dynamic Character: A round character is an all purpose fellow. He is a complex and regular character. Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield is a round character. He acts in different situation mechanically. He is over head and ears in debt but he moves like a gentleman of power, self and prestige.

A round character is not static. He is dynamic and plays the role of successful character.

Other Classification of Characters: The art of characterization has made further progress. Critics of art look to the characters from different angles. Fictions, today have ceased to be mere arrangement of events and episodes. They carry a certain theme and particular philosophy or idea. Hence, they need the following types of characters:

1. The Thematic Character,

2. The Episodic Character.

The Thematic Character: A thematic character is one, who is not only an actor, performer or sufferer of the action but also a carrier of views and themes. In ‘Sons and Lovers’ of D. H. Lawrence the hero is thematic character. He is character based on the theory of Oedipus complex. Oedipus Complex means the love of the child for the parent of the opposite sex. Paul Morel has undue love for his mother Gertrude Morel.

The Episodic Character: The episodic character is a performer of action only. He is the actor who acts the part. He is a partner of the episode. His actual participations into the action develops the plot. Alec in the “Tess of the D’urbervilles’ is an episodic character. It is he, who has raped Tess. It is he, who misguides Tess. He is the person, who is killed by Tess. It is his murder, that brings the sentence of hanging for Tess. None of these events can be omitted from the novel. Omission of any of these episodes will ruin the plot and spoil the novel.

Conventional or Traditional Characters: Some of the characters are drawn on the traditional and conventional pattern. There is nothing new in them. They are also called the crustaceans. These characters belong to ‘he old pattern.

The non-traditional or vitalist: Psychologists call these new types of characters the non-traditional or the vitalists. The vitalists are presented in Forster’s novel A Passage to India. Mrs. Moore is a vitalist. She has come to India with a creative purpose which is to bring the sense of friendliness between the Indians and the ruling Britishers.

Character as ‘types’: Where the novelist has to draw the picture of the society as a whole, he keeps up individuals from the society who are representative of their class. Gabriel Oak in ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ is a type of his own. He is a representative of the class of the shepherds. He is the representative of the Wessex Countryside whereas Troy and Alice are characters of their own type. They represent the modern civilization whose only business is to cheat young girls and fly away. Chaucer’s pilgrims in the Prologue are types. They represent their class. The knight is representative of the rich aristocratic class, while the Clerk of Oxford represents the class of scholars.

Individual Characters: Characters stand for their own individuality in the fiction. They have their independent roles to play. They stand for themselves and place examples to others. Dr. Aziz in ‘A Passage to India’ is an individual character who stands for freedom and Home rule. He is constant in his belief and thinking.

The Symbolic Character: Some characters stand as symbols in the society. Caliban in Tempest stands for what is most ugly and uncultured in the society. He is of the earth. Ariel symbolizes the upper spirit while Caliban symbolizes the meanest layers of the society.

Purpose of Characters: A character has to cover two sides. He has the moral aspect of his life as well as the intellectual aspect. A character has something to keep to as an idea to the society by his deeds or actions. On the other hand, he has his intellectual side. He has to be informative and communicate something to the readers. In both the aspects the character finds himself helpless. The character is bound by the plot or the action which he has to perform. He has to act his part as the plot provides. The same character in the different roles is a different person. A character performing a good role is a good character. The same character in the bad role is a bad character. So, a character in himself is meaningless. His status is decided by the role he performs or he has to perform. A character is only subordinate to the plot or action.

Principles of Characterization: A character should be framed on the following pattern:

1. A character should be good.

2. He should be true to life.

3. He should be based on propriety.

4. He must be consistent.

5. There should be tendency towards idealism in his portrayal.

6. A character should be framed on the laws of probability and necessity.

The problem of character delineation: W. H. Hudson remarks that the novelist should create men and women real to our imagination. ‘His men and women shall move through his pages like living beings and like living being live in our memory after his book is laid aside and its details perhaps forgotten.’ A character should live within the plot and grow naturally. He should reveal himself within the plot rather than be thrust upon from the outside.

Conclusion: Although Aristotle assigns second place to character in his poetics, yet it can well be said that character has its own importance. It is through him that the novelist gives his own point of view. Specially in thematic plots the character is the prime mover of the plot. He is the hub or the axis on which the actual plot stands.