Character and Characterization THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

C. Character and Characterization

The term „character‟ originally found in many literary works such as in work of fiction, drama, or novel. Character is someone who acts, appears, or is referred to as playing a part in a literary work. The term of character also applies in film. Both of them in literary works and in film have a same function and same meaning. The relationship between plot and character is a vital and necessary one. Without character there would be no plot and hence, no story. For purposes of analysis, character are customarily describes by their relationship to plot, by the degree of development they are given to the author or director, and by whether or not they undergo significant character change. The major or central character are those they seen more of over a longer period of time; then the audience learn more about them, and make people think of them as more complex and, therefore, frequently mor e „realistic‟ then the minor character, the figure who fill out the story. The major character of the plot is usually protagonist. The protagonist is usually enough to identify: he or she is the essential character without there would be no plot in the fir st place. It‟s the protagonist‟s fate the conflict or problem being wrestled with 23 on which attention of the reader or the audience is focused. Protagonist, whose opponent is the antagonist, the antagonist may always manage to compete and defeat the protagonist. To describe the relative degree to which character are developed by their creator, E.M Forster distinguishes between what he calls flat and round characters. Flat characters are those who embody or represent a single characteristic, trait, or idea, or a most a very limited number of such qualities. Flat. Round characters are just opposite. They embody a number of qualities and traits and are complex 23 James H. Pickering, Concise Companion to Literature New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. 2002, p. 24. multidimensional characters of considerable intellectual and emotional depth who have capacity to grow and change. 24 Yet while minor characters maybe less prominent and less complex, they are ultimately just as important to a story as a major characters. In fact minor characters often play a key role in shaping our interpretations of, and attitudes toward, the major characters and in precipitating the changes that major characters undergo. Like many a minor character is described as foils 25 to major character in the sense that they serve as a contrast, throwing into relief the traits that distinguish and define to major character. In presenting and establishing character the author or the director allow the characters to reveal themselves directly through their dialogue and their actions. A good deal of characterization —the art, craft, method of presentation, or creation a personages —involves a similar process. 26 How character is presented is called characterization. 24 Ibid. p. 26. 25 Peter Simon, The Norton Introduction to literature: shorter eight editions. new York: Norton company Inc, 2002, p.103. 26 Ibid

D. Representation