a. Definition of Character
A character conveys a significant role in a story. Besides wondering what will happen next, we will also ask to whom it may happen while reading a story. It
means that character is one of the most important aspects of a story. Abrams 23- 24, states that characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative
work who are later on interpreted by the readers from their say and actions. What they say and do show their “moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities”. Their
dispositional and moral qualities may remain stable from the beginning to the end of the story, or may have some changes either through a gradual process or in a
shocking way. Stanton 17 in An Introduction to Fiction defines character into two
meanings. Firstly, it refers to any individuals who present in the story. Secondly, it is described as “the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles
that makes up each of these individuals”. Therefore, character here can be defined as any individuals who present in a story that bring the mixture of interests,
desires, emotions, and moral principles as their personality.
b. Kinds of Character
According to Forster 46-54, there are two kinds of character. They are flat characters and round characters. Flat characters are usually created around a
single idea or trait. These kinds of character are often called as caricatures and they can usually be summed up in a single phrase. These characters are relatively
simple and can be observed through a certain angle. One great advantage of flat characters is that they are easily noticed whenever they present in a story. Another
advantage is that the readers can easily remember these flat characters. They are static and remain stable in the story. The readers will exactly understand what will
happen to these characters and their reaction toward a certain situation can be easily predicted. Nevertheless, flat characters have an important function in
creating a certain circumstance or situation in a story. While round characters are complex and many-sided. They are built
around several or even many traits of human nature that form them become complex personalities. Round characters are varied in temperament and
motivation. Different from flat characters, they are able to surprise the readers in convincing ways. They always have the incalculability of actual life and they may
in many cases act differently from what the readers expect. Furthermore, these round characters cannot be only described in a single phrase.
Henkle 88-97 divides character into two namely major character and secondary character. A major character is the center of a story. It is the most
important and complex character in the story. Usually, this kind of character can be recognized through its complexity of characterization and attention given to by
the other characters and the readers. Therefore, major character deserves the fullest attention as it performs a key structural function: upon herhim, the readers
build expectations and desires. On the other side, a secondary character performs functions that are more
limited. Generally, this kind of character is used to construct a composite picture of the human condition that is at issue in the novel. In other words, it functions to
inhabit the world in the novel and establish the context of the time and the society.
These characters only appear in certain scenes of the story. They may be less sophisticated and less intense, so that their responses to the experience are less
complex and interesting. Holman and Harmon 83 propose two kinds of character namely static
and dynamic. A static character is one that changes a little or does not change at all in his outlooks or personalities during the course of the story because there is
nothing happening within. It can be said that at the end of the story the character pretty much what he was at the start. In contrast, a dynamic character is modified
by actions and experiences as the story progresses, which influence the character to undergo changes. The changes can be for better or for worse, a little or a big
one. However, it is something important and basic, and more than minor changes in opinion.
2. Characterization
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