Characterization and Character Narrative Elements

character, and spectator that objectify the female character and make her into spectacle. Male gaze has become shorthand term for the analysis of complex mechanisms in cinema that involve structures like voyeurism and narcissism. These concepts help to understand how Hollywood cinema is made for male desire.

C. Narrative Elements

Narrative is a chain of events in a cause effect relationship, occurring in time and space. A narrative is not a random string of events. Usually, the agaents of cause and effect are characters. By reacting to events, they create causes and react to the twist and turns in the story.

a. Characterization and Character

Many readers believe that plot is the most crucial element to their enjoyment of a story, but most of us soon recognize that no matter how exciting, eventful, or surprising the plot of a short story, novel, and film may be, we care most about finding convincing portrayals of human nature in action. The method by which writers create, reveal, and develop characters is called characterization . 20 Writers usually focus on a single character and show us the complexities, contradictions, and difficulties in that person’s life and personality. A major character is an important figure at the center of the story’s action or theme. Sometimes this central character is the protagonist. 20 Joseph F. et. al, Efictions USA: Thomsom Learning, 2002, p. 5. Character is changed in some a ways by experience. Characters who remain relatively unchanged are called static. Characters who through some development are called dynamic. The central characters in most short stories are round They have fully developed complex personality that may defy simple analysis and description. Less significant characters in the story are likely to be flat . Finally, some characters in fiction lend themselves to neither kind of analysis. Instead, they may represent abstraction or ideas rather than complex human beings in action. When the fiction writer is primarily interested why character choose and respond as they do their motivation we as readers must respond by seeking and explanation for their behavior. We have to pay attention to the list of characters and carefully read whatever descriptions the playwright has provided. Characters have several properties. They usually have a body. They possess traits such as attitudes, skill, psychology, drives, details of dress and appearance, habits, etc. 21 The viewer seeks to connect events by casual motivation of characters.

b. Setting