Types of Characters in Fiction

"What does characterization do for a story? In a nutshell, it allows us to empathize with the protagonist
and secondary characters, and thus feel that what is happening to these people in the story is vicariously
happening to us; and it also gives us a sense of verisimilitude, or the semblance of living reality. An
important part of characterization is dialogue, for it is both spoken and inward dialogue that afford us the
opportunity to see into the characters' hearts and examine their motivations. In the best of stories, it is
actually characterization that moves the story along, because a compelling character in a difficult situation
creates his or her own plot."

Karen Bernardo, Characterization in Literature

In fictional literature, authors use many different types of characters to tell their stories.
Different types of characters fulfill different roles in the narrative process, and with a little
bit of analysis, you can usually detect some or all of the types below.

 Major or central characters are vital to the development and resolution of the
conflict. In other words, the plot and resolution of conflict revolves around these
characters.
 Minor characters serve to complement the major characters and help move the
plot events forward.
 Dynamic - A dynamic character is a person who changes over time, usually as
a result of resolving a central conflict or facing a major crisis. Most dynamic
characters tend to be central rather than peripheral characters, because
resolving the conflict is the major role of central characters.
 Static - A static character is someone who does not change over time; his or
her personality does not transform or evolve.
 Round - A rounded character is anyone who has a complex personality; he or
she is often portrayed as a conflicted and contradictory person.
 Flat - A flat character is the opposite of a round character. This literary
personality is notable for one kind of personality trait or characteristic.
 Stock - Stock characters are those types of characters who have
become conventional or stereotypical through repeated use in particular types
of stories. Stock characters are instantly recognizable to readers or audience
members (e.g. the femme fatale, the cynical but moral private eye, the mad
scientist, the geeky boy with glasses, and the faithful sidekick). Stock characters
are normally one-dimensional flatcharacters, but sometimes stock personalities
are deeply conflicted, rounded characters (e.g. the "Hamlet" type).
 Protagonist - The protagonist is the central person in a story, and is often
referred to as the story's main character. He or she (or they) is faced with a
conflict that must be resolved. The protagonist may not always be admirable (e.g.
an anti-hero); nevertheless s/he must command involvement on the part of the
reader, or better yet, empathy.
 Antagonist - The antagonist is the character(s) (or situation) that represents the
opposition against which the protagonist must contend. In other words, the
antagonist is an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome.
  Anti-Hero - A major character, usually the protagonist, who lacks conventional
nobility of mind, and who struggles for values not deemed universally
admirable. Duddy, in Mordecai Richler's The Apprenticeship of Duddy
Kravitz, is a classic anti-hero. He's vulgar, manipulative and self-
centered. Nevertheless, Duddy is the center of the story, and we are drawn to
the challenges he must overcome and the goals he seeks to achieve.
 Foil - A foil is any character (usually the antagonist or an important supporting
character) whose personal qualities contrast with another character (usually the
protagonist). By providing this contrast, we get to know more about the other
character.
 Symbolic - A symbolic character is any major or minor character whose very
existence represents some major idea or aspect of society. For example, in Lord
of the Flies, Piggy is a symbol of both the rationality and physical weakness of
modern civilization; Jack, on the other hand, symbolizes the violent tendencies
(the Id) that William Golding believes is within human nature.

 Direct presentation (or characterization) - This refers to what the speaker

or narrator directly says or thinks about a character. In other words, in a
direct characterization, the reader is told what the character is like.
When Dickens describes Scrooge like this: "I present him to you:
Ebenezer Scrooge....the most tightfisted hand at the grindstone,
Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching,
covetous, old sinner!" - this is very direct characterization!
 Indirect presentation (or characterization) - This refers to what the character says
or does. The reader theninfers what the character is all about. This mimics how
we understand people in the real world, since we can't "get inside their heads". In
other words, in an indirect characterization, it's the reader who is obliged to
figure out what the character is like. And sometimes the reader will get it wrong.

Ten (Direct or Indirect) Ways in which a Character Can Be Revealed

a. By psychological description.
b. By physical description.
c. By probing what s/he thinks.
d. By what s/he says.
e. By how s/he says it.
f. By what s/he does.
g. By what others say about him or her.
h. By his or her environment.
i. By her reaction to others.
j. By his reaction to himself.
 Things to Remember:

1. Literary characters may embody more than one of these character types at the
same time. A dynamic character may also be the antagonist, and a protagonist
can also be, say, a flat and stock character (i.e. the one-dimensional hero).

2. Here's a very common mistake: while characters are often round and dynamic,
that does not mean these two terms mean the same thing. The former refers to a
character's complexity, while the latter refers to a character's development over
time. Students also make this mistake with flat and static characters.

https://learn.lexiconic.net/characters.htm

I. What is Plot?
In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the sequence of events that make up
a story, whether it’s told, written, filmed, or sung. The plot is the story, and
more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time. Plots are
typically made up of five main elements:

1. Exposition: At the beginning of the story, characters, setting, and the main conflict are
typically introduced.
2. Rising Action: The main character is in crisis and events leading up to facing the conflict begin
to unfold. The story becomes complicated.
3. Climax: At the peak of the story, a major event occurs in which the main character faces a
major enemy, fear, challenge, or other source of conflict. The most action, drama, change,
and excitement occurs here.
4. Falling Action: The story begins to slow down and work towards its end, tying up loose ends.
5. Resolution/Denoument: Also known as the denouement, the resolution is like a concluding
paragraph that resolves any remaining issues and ends the story.
Plots, also known as storylines, include the most significant events of the story
and how the characters and their problems change over time.
II. Examples of Plot
Here are a few very short stories with sample plots:

Example 1
Kaitlin wants to buy a puppy. She goes to the pound and begins looking through the cages for her
future pet. At the end of the hallway, she sees a small, sweet brown dog with a white spot on its
nose. At that instant, she knows she wants to adopt him. After he receives shots and a medical
check, she and the dog, Berkley, go home together.
In this example, the exposition introduces us to Kaitlin and her conflict.
She wants a puppy but does not have one. The rising action occurs as she
enters the pound and begins looking. The climax is when she sees the dog of
her dreams and decides to adopt him. The falling action consists of a quick
medical check before the resolution, or ending, when Kaitlin and Berkley happily
head home.

Example 2
Scott wants to be on the football team, but he’s worried he won’t make the team. He spends weeks
working out as hard as possible, preparing for try outs. At try outs, he amazes coaches with his
skill as a quarterback. They ask him to be their starting quarterback that year and give him a
jersey. Scott leaves the field, ecstatic!
The exposition introduces Scott and his conflict: he wants to be on the team but
he doubts his ability to make it. The rising action consists of his training and
tryout; the climax occurs when the coaches tell him he’s been chosen to be
quarterback. The falling action is when Scott takes a jersey and the resolution is
him leaving the try-outs as a new, happy quarterback.

Each of these stories has

 an exposition as characters and conflicts are introduced

 a rising action which brings the character to the climax as conflicts are
developed and faced, and
 a falling action and resolution as the story concludes.

III. Types of Plot

There are many types of plots in the world! But, realistically, most of them fit
some pattern that we can see in more than one story. Here are some classic
plots that can be seen in numerous stories all over the world and throughout
history.
a. Overcoming the Monster
The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people—
usually everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into this conflict, and
comes out of it as a hero, or even a king. This is one version of the world’s most
universal and compelling plot—the ‘monomyth’ described by the great thinker
Joseph Campbell.
Examples:
Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

b. Rags to Riches:
This story can begin with the protagonist being poor or rich, but at some
point, the protagonist will have everything, lose everything, and then gain it all
back by the end of the story, after experiencing great personal growth.

Examples:
The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre.

c. The Quest:
The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and dangerous adventures
in order to find treasure or solve a huge problem. Usually, the protagonist is
forced to begin the quest but makes friends that help face the many tests and
obstacles along the way. This is also a version of Campbell’s monomyth.
Examples:
The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon

d. Voyage and Return:

The protagonist goes on a journey to a strange or unknown place, facing danger
and adventures along the way, returning home with experience and
understanding. This is also a version of the monomyth.

Examples:
Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wizard of Oz

e. Comedy:
A happy and fun character finds a happy ending after triumphing over
difficulties and adversities.

Examples:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Home Alone
f. Tragedy:
The protagonist experiences a conflict which leads to very bad ending,
typically death.

Examples:
Romeo and Juliet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Macbeth

g. Rebirth:
The protagonist is a villain who becomes a good person through the experience
of the story’s conflict.
Examples:
The Secret Garden, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch
As these seven examples show, many stories follow a common pattern. In fact,
according to many thinkers, such as the great novelist Kurt Vonnegut, and
Joseph Campbell, there are only a few basic patterns, which are mixed and
combined to form all stories.

IV. The Importance of Using Plot

The plot is what makes a story a story. It gives the story character
development, suspense, energy, and emotional release (also known as
‘catharsis’). It allows an author to develop themes and most importantly,
conflict that makes a story emotionally engaging; everybody knows how hard it
is to stop watching a movie before the conflict is resolved.

V. Examples of Plot in Literature

Plots can be found in all kinds of fiction. Here are a few examples.

Example 1
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham
In The Razor’s Edge, Larry Darrell returns from World War I disillusioned. His
fiancée, friends, and family urge him to find work, but he does not want to. He
embarks on a voyage through Europe and Asia seeking higher truth. Finally, in
Asia, he finds a more meaningful way of life.
In this novel, the plot follows the protagonist Larry as he seeks meaningful
experiences. The story begins with the exposition of a disillusioned young man
who does not want to work. The rising action occurs as he travels seeking an
education. The story climaxes when he becomes a man perfectly at peace in
meditation.

Example 2
The Road not Taken’ by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
…
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
…
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
…
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken,” has a very clear plot: The
exposition occurs when a man stands at the fork of two roads, his conflict being
which road to take. The climax occurs when he chooses the unique path. The
resolution announces that “that has made all the difference,” meaning the man
has made a significant and meaningful decision.

VI. Examples of Plot in Pop Culture

Plots can also be found in television shows, movies, thoughtful storytelling

advertisements, and song lyrics. Below are a few examples of plot in pop
culture.

Example 1
“Love Story” (excerpts) by Taylor Swift:
I’m standing there on a balcony in summer air.
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
And say, “Hello, ”

Little did I know…

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”
And I was crying on the staircase

Begging you, “Please don’t go”

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet ’cause we’re dead if they knew
So close your eyes… escape this town for a little while.
...

He knelts to the ground and pulled out a ring and said…

“Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone.

I love you, and that’s all I really know.
I talked to your dad – go pick out a white dress
It’s a love story, baby, just say, ‘Yes.'”
These excerpts reveal the plot of this song: the exposition occurs when we see
two characters: a young woman and young man falling in love. The rising action
occurs as the father forbids her from seeing the man and they continue see one
another in secret. Finally, the climax occurs when the young man asks her to
marry him and the two agree to make their love story come true.

Example 2
Minions Official Trailer #1 (2015) – Despicable Me Prequel HD

Watch this video on YouTube

Minions have a goal to serve the most despicable master. Their rising action is
their search for the best leader, the conflict being that they cannot keep one.
Movie trailers encourage viewers to see the movie by showing the conflict but
not the climax or resolution.

VII. Related Terms

Outline
Many people use outlines which to create complex plots, or arguments in formal
essays. In a story, an outline is a list of the scenes in the plot with brief
descriptions. Like the skeleton is to the body, an outline is the
framework upon which the rest of the story is built when it is written. In essays,
outlines are used to help organize ideas into strong arguments and paragraphs
that connect to each other in sensible ways.

Climax
The climax is considered the most important element of the plot. It contains the
highest point of tension, drama, and change. The climax is when the conflict is
finally faced and overcome. Without a climax, a plot does not exist.

For example, consider this simple plot:

Plot:
The good army is about to face the evil army in a terrible battle. During this battle, the good army
prevails and wins the war at last. After the war has ended, the two sides make piece and begin
rebuilding the countryside which was ruined by the years-long war.
Climax:
The climax occurred when the good army defeated the bad army. Without this climax, the story
would simply be a never-ending war between a good army and bad army, with no happy or sad
ending in sight. Here, the climax is absolutely necessary for a meaningful story with a clear
ending.

https://literaryterms.net
What are the Six Types of Conflict
in Literature? (with Examples)
January 4, 2018 - Perfecting your Craft - 1 Comment

[Post updated: 8/8/2018]

Ah, conflict. Can’t live with it. Can’t live without it. Kurt Vonnegut once
said that every story is about a character who gets into trouble and then tries
to get out of it. That’s because who and what we entangle with isn’t just the
stuffing for embarrassing Thanksgiving-dinner stories: it’s the types of
conflict that drives every narrative forward.
 It goes without saying that your conflict will affect not only your plot, but
also almost every other important element of your story: your characters,
theme, tone, and setting. In that sense, figuring out your central conflict is
one of the most important things you’ll do as a writer.

In this post, we'll study the different types of external conflict and internal
conflict — and figure out what they're going to mean for your own story.

Contents
 Definition of external conflict (and internal conflict)
 The six types of conflict
 How to practice writing conflict in fiction

What is conflict in literature?

Simply put, the conflict of a book is a struggle between two opposing forces.
It starts when something stands in the way of a character and their goals. In
other words:

CHARACTER + WANT + OBSTACLE = CONFLICT

This might sound overly simple, but almost all of the great stories in the
world are born from this formula: a protagonist desperately wants
something, but can't get it. Simply take a look at these famous external and
internal conflict examples for proof:

 Pip yearns to be a gentleman but the British upper class frowns on social
mobility in Great Expectations.
 Michael Corleone wants to stay out of the family business in The
Godfather but cannot resist the gravity of filial obligation.
 Fitzwilliam Darcy discovers that he's in love with Elizabeth Bennett in Pride
and Prejudice, but for one tiny obstacle: Miss Bennett despises the sight of
him.

Pictured: a struggle between two opposing fields.

Authors tend to plant the seeds of tension in the exposition of the
book's narrative arc. This then gets the ball rolling for the rest of the book:
CONFLICT + ACTION = (you guessed it) STORY.

One more thing: we can separate character conflict into external

conflict and internal conflict. We'll take a closer look at both later.

How does conflict affect character?

 Has anyone ever told you that you need to put your characters through Hell?
That’s not because all authors are masochistic, but because it's also one of the
best ways to develop characters in fiction.

Conflict shows us truths about who we are. Imagine a situation where

Character A accidentally stabs and kills a man through a curtain, for instance.
Does the character now:

 Immediately go to the authorities and report what they did?

 Hide the body in an undisclosed location (à la Hamlet)?

Conflict forces characters to act in ways that reveal themselves. That said,
conflicts don’t need to be violent or set on a grand scale. They could revolve
around the relationship between two characters — or stem from one
character’s private desire to start an alpaca farm, instead of going to college.
Just remember that a well-written internal conflict or external conflict will
always make the protagonist confront their fears and bring their values into
focus.

Pro-tip: put your character through Hell. Learn more about

writing conflict inside #amwriting

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Don’t write conflict just for conflict’s sake

A word of caution: writing good conflict doesn’t mean cramming in as much
of it as possible.

How would a thirty-second fight over who’s taking out the trash move the
needle, for instance? Don't introduce conflict if it does nothing meaningful to
further plot or character. Conflict should always be related to your
protagonist’s goal — either developing it or blocking it. If you picture your
story as a building, a good struggle isn’t going to be several gusts of wind
that batters only a couple of windows. It should be that storm that makes a
building shake from its very foundations.

So what makes for good "building-shaking" material? Let's look at the major
types of conflict you'll find in literature.

What are the six types of conflict in

literature?
Broadly-speaking, a conflict is going to be one of two things: external
conflict or internal conflict. Rest assured that you can break this down
further, though. It turns out that human beings struggle against themselves,
other human beings, society — and more besides, as we’ll find out.

Character versus Character

Character versus Society
Character versus Nature
Character versus Technology
Character versus Supernatural
Character versus Self

External Conflict (with Examples)

Character versus Character(s)
Pesky people, right? We cause trouble wherever we go. That’s the crux of
this kind of external conflict, which you’ll find in many, if not most, books.
When we say "character versus character," we mean both the black-and-white
(a robbery, or a Hero vs. Villain setup) and the subtler kinds of confrontation
(a romance or a family drama, for instance).

If only!
The most obvious example of character versus character conflict is the
relationship between Harry Potter and Voldemort: both are trying to defeat
the other. But there’s plenty more external conflict examples in our Muggle
world, too. In The Great Gatsby, for instance, Jay Gatsby must go against
Tom Buchanan to capture Daisy Buchanan’s attention. Horror novels often
pit mankind against mankind as well. That you see this kind of struggle so
often in fiction isn’t surprising: we almost always need to navigate a sea of
people when we’re trying to achieve our goals in life.
Further external conflict examples: Elizabeth vs. Darcy in Pride and
Prejudice, Walt vs. Hank in Breaking Bad, Jean Valjean vs. Inspector Javert
in Les Misérables.

Character versus Society

Particularly prevalent in fiction these days, this type of external conflict pits
the protagonist against the wider society. In this case, “society” could involve
an oppressive government, adults as seen from a teenager’s perspective, a
corrupt police force — any larger group of people that makes the protagonist
realize that they don’t neatly fit into the world’s mold for them. So they
struggle in various ways against society’s expectations, something that often
trips into outright rebellion.

Think dystopian novels. By virtue of the genre, we often see a character

fighting a society that’s obviously deranged: take Brave New World’s
Savage, who doesn’t belong in London in 2540 AD and attempts to reject it.
There are also the more understated external conflict examples. In The Devil
Wears Prada, our protagonist, Andy Sachs, has to grapple with the allure of
Miranda Priestly and the fashion industry.

Further external conflict examples: Winston Smith vs. Big Brother

in 1984, Katniss Everdeen vs. The Capital in Hunger Games, Romeo and
Juliet vs. the Montagues and the Capulets in Romeo and Juliet.

Character versus Nature

How would you fancy a fight for your life against Mother Earth? This is just
that: a character whose primary opponent is nature. If you come across it in
fiction, expect to see all sorts of wildlife (Jaws), apocalypses (Day After
Tomorrow), weather (The Perfect Storm), islands (Robinson Crusoe),
and post-apocalyptic landscapes (The Road) surface as antagonists. And,
since it often comes down to survival when you’re facing the forces of nature
itself, you’ll frequently find “character versus self” — something we’ll touch
on later — emerge as a partner struggle in the story.

Six types of conflict exist in fiction. What are they? #amwriting

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Further external conflict examples: Mark vs. Mars in The Martian, Pi vs.
the ocean in Life of Pi, Ahab vs. the Whale in Moby-Dick, Santiago vs. the
marlin in Old Man and the Sea.

Character versus Technology

Technology might feel as though it’s one of the newer categories out there,
given the only recent rise of smartphones and Google in the 21st-century. But
characters were battling technology way back when. In fact, you can trace it
all the way back to Mary Shelley‘s 1818 Frankenstein, in which a chemist
needs to fight his own creation: a monster born out of science.

This is perhaps most predominant in science fiction, where it’s used to raise
questions about morality and identity at the boundaries of technology. But
“character versus technology” can just as easily take place in our modern
world (and not just when you’re trying to teach Grandma Millie how to use
emojis)! In Apollo 13, for instance, the characters find themselves in a race
against time when the machinery on their spaceship starts breaking down —
in the middle of space.

Further external conflict examples: Rick vs. androids in Do Androids

Dream of Electric Sheep?, Humanity vs. robots in I, Robot.

Character versus Supernatural

Superficially, this type of conflict might seem camp and irreverent, but many
authors use it to try and explore the inexplicable events in life. That’s because
the supernatural can include anything from ghosts to omens to, yes, fate
itself. Take two very different external conflict examples of the supernatural
at work in fiction: in the play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus struggles against a
prophecy that predicts that he’ll kill his father and marry his mother,
while The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde uses the supernatural to
question the duality of our natures.

It's uncertain who would emerge victorious in a New York City versus Zeus matchup.
Further external conflict examples: Humanity vs. ghosts in Ghostbusters,
Humanity vs. aliens in War of the Worlds.

Internal Conflict (with Examples)

Character versus self
It was writer Maxwell Anderson who said: “The story must be a conflict, and
specifically, a conflict between the forces of good and evil within a single
person.” Though that might be an oversimplification, it is true that every
interesting story will involve a character’s inner conflict at some point. That’s
because, as James N. Frey points out in How To Write A Damn Good Novel,
a reader experiences the most empathy for a character when that character is
in the middle of some intense inner conflict.

Internal conflict will stem from a debate that occurs within a character. It
might originate from any combination of the character’s expectations, desire,
duties, and fears. In Hunger Games, for instance, Katniss Everdeen must
reconcile her reluctance to kill another human being with the need to survive
in the battle arena. Gripping inner tension is often morally complex or
universal, and that’s what will ultimately resonate with your readers.

Further internal conflict examples: Pretty much every book! For more
specific examples, though, see: Mrs Dalloway vs. self in Mrs Dalloway,
Hamlet vs. self in Hamlet, Humbert Humbert vs. self in Lolita, Holden vs.
self in The Catcher In The Rye, Pip vs. self in Great Expectations.

The difference between internal conflict versus

external conflict
When it’s done right, the interplay between internal conflict and external
conflict raises the quality of the story altogether. A character’s internal
conflict adds complexity to the external conflict while the external conflict
drives inner change. Otherwise, your character will simply be one-
dimension.

Perhaps the best way to think about this is to look in the nearest mirror. What
kind of internal conflict do you go through yourself? Doesn't it influence the
struggles that you face externally?

To use an example from literature we all probably know, let's briefly visit
Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. There's her internal conflict: she
 wants advancement in the FBI — but most desperately of all, she wants to
silence the screaming of the lambs in her dreams. This internal conflict is
then teased out and used to fuel the external conflicts between Clarice and
Hannibal, and Clarice and Chilton. Both are intrinsically tied to the other in
Clarice's character arc, and should be written as such.

How can I practice writing these types of

conflict?
If you’re struggling to come up with a good central conflict, try going back to
the basics and thinking about it through the below two methods.

The Character-Based Practice

It never hurts to remember one of fiction’s #1 guidelines: it always comes
down to character in the end. So one thing you can do to brainstorm is to
return to your cast of characters. Start by re-evaluating the things that make
them tick. Ask yourself:

 What are their fears and core values? (This is vital if you want to create a
strong internal conflict.)
 What are their (conscious or unconscious) desires?
 Which one of those desires would get the character upending everything to
achieve? Could that form a central conflict that’d provide the basis for a
satisfying story?

To brainstorm internal conflict, John Vorhaus suggests putting “but” into an

equation with opposing forces, such as: I love my younger sister, but I’m a
danger to her because of my ice powers, or I want Daisy Buchanan, but I’m a
poor boy from the Midwest. Try it for your characters!
Here's a free character profile template to get you started. And if you need
specific character development exercises for inspiration? Check out this post.

The Theme-Based Practice

Generally, the central conflict teases out — or makes clear — the theme of
the book. In Romeo and Juliet, for instance, the conflict between the two
noble families of the Montagues and the Capulets is the perfect backdrop for
the Love versus Hate theme that pervades the play.

If you’ve already got a sense of what you want your theme to be, think about
ways that the central struggle could best complement it. Will it raise the
questions that you want readers to consider? Will the resolution of the
external and internal conflict convey the message that you want to deliver? If
you remember that conflict is just one part of the whole, you’ll experience a
much easier time creating the package deal.

https://blog.reedsy.com/types-of-conflict-in-fiction/