Deborah L. Boughton
In Aspects of the Novel, the early 20
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century novelist E.M. Forster developed a new way of looking at character that has informed the critical study of literature ever since. The essential idea is that there are two types of characters: flat and round. According to Forster the flat character is organized "around a single idea or quality" and can be "summed up in a single sentence."
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Often, but not always, the flat character can be reduced to a "type" or "caricature." The flat character will view the world and respond to the world in a consistent way and does not surprise the reader. For example, we know that Pap, Huck Finn's alcoholic father, will always behave in an abusive and racist manner. On the other hand, Huck is not predictable; his understanding of what is right and wrong changes throughout the novel. His frame of reference evolves. Huck is therefore a round character.
Forster explained that the round character "has the incalculability of life about [him or her]." He asserted that because he possesses the ambiguities and complexities of a real person, he will surprise the reader "in a convincing way." The reader cannot sum up the round character in a single sentence. Although Forster recognizes that the round character is more interesting and a "bigger achievement," he recognizes that flat characters have a purpose. In fact he asserts that some critics fail to recognize that complex novels often require both types of characters.
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Charles Dickens, for example, is a writer who masterfully creates flat characters. For example, Mr. M'Choakumchild in Hard Times, is the stern and narrow-minded school master who stifles children instead of encouraging them to grow. He is a one-dimensional character but he is certainly memorable, quirky and alive. Forster makes it clear that the terms round and flat are not meant to be used as measures of artistic merit. However, recognizing these distinctions can help students understand the language of literary criticism and also provide them with a frame of reference for evaluating the depth of characters. Rather than feeling compelled to label the character in a binary way--moral or immoral, honest or dishonest, smart or stupid--students will recognize that characters can have varied traits. Students need to pay attention to how round characters (particularly the protagonist) change as a result of the events in that unfold in the story. Often, recognizing how and why the main character changes, is crucial to understanding the deeper meaning of a work.
Another benefit of exposure to round, complex characters, is that the reader is able to develop her capacity for empathy; the ability to recognize the perspectives that shape, what people think, believe and value. An encounter with a round, complex character, allows the reader to look at herself and her world differently. While flat characters can entertain us, they rarely inspire this kind of introspection. Because flat or stock characters are more prevalent on television and in the kinds of escapist novels that many teenagers prefer, it is necessary to raise students' level of appreciation for complex characters.
The Influence of Formula Fiction on Teen's Conception of "Good Literature"
Over the past few years Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series has been remarkably successful. The librarian at our school can't keep them on the shelves and many of my students, mostly young women, eagerly awaited the release of the final book in the series. When the fourth book Breaking Dawn, was released, Hachette Book Group, shattered first day sales records for the company selling over 1.3 million copies and the book was on the top of the New York Times Young Adult fiction list for over thirty weeks.
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. My students frequently asked me why we couldn't read "good books like this in school instead of The Scarlet Letter." Although the Twilight series has captured the imagination of a number of teenage readers, its plot is essentially identical to many formulaic, young adult romance novels.
Although the vampire angle is somewhat unique, the reader recognizes that the heroine will be saved from the clutches of evil by the good-hearted and great looking hero. Students report that they know there will be a happy ending, but that they still feel that the plots are "exciting." These stories seem to satisfy many teenage readers because they allow them to escape for awhile in a simple world where their assumptions and desires are affirmed. They know that the girl with the difficult home life will be rescued by the handsome stranger. The villain is recognizable and will be outsmarted by the hero.
In its glossary of literary terms, The Bedford Introduction to Literature, which is considered an authoritative text by many AP teachers, defines formula fiction as follows:
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Often characterized as "escape literature," formula literature follows a pattern of
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conventional reader expectations. Romance novels, westerns, science fiction,
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and detective stories are all examples of formula literature; while the details of
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individual stories vary, the basic ingredients of each kind of story are the same.
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Formula literature offers happy endings (the hero "gets the girl," the detective
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cracks the case), entertains wide audiences, and sells tremendously well.
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The cast of characters in these stories is predictable. The books are generally filled with stock characters. They are not psychologically complex and often embody stereotypes. Advertisers have also created stock characters to sell products to teens. In the PBS documentary Merchants of Cool, the filmmakers revealed that market researchers created two stock characters -- the midriff and the mook -- that they believe appeal to today's teens. "The midriff" is the Brittany Spears look-alike with the signature bare midriff and prepubescent hyper sexuality. The "mook" is the male equivalent; the sophomoric adolescent boy obsessed with bodily functions and thrill-seeking, reckless behavior. These are the two types seen in media directed towards teens. MTV's many spring break specials are examples of the type of programming that celebrates these stereotypes. The documentarians suggest that a symbiotic relationship has developed between the media and teens "as each looks to the other to define its identity."
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Teens imitate the media as the media imitates teens. I hope that studying characterization will not only help students become more appreciative of the complexity inherent in good literature, but help them to recognize how dangerous it can be to mistake one-dimensional representations of people for the real thing.
"Richard Cory" and "We Wear the Mask": The Consequences of Viewing Others as Stock Characters
Both "Richard Cory" by Edward Arlington Robinson and "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar were written at the end of the nineteenth century, but they deal with timeless themes. Students' heightened awareness of how social and historical context shapes the author's work, will help them appreciate how each poet responded to his own unique circumstances. Robinson's poem is the first in a series aimed at depicting the inner lives of characters he had known in his hometown of Gardner, Maine. Richard Cory was a wealthy individual who "glittered when he walked" but who lived in isolation because the townspeople kept him at arm's length. The common folk, "the people of the pavement" admired and envied him from afar, imagining that he "was everything." The last line of the poem reveals that "one summer night [Richard Cory] went home and put a bullet in his head." Corey's isolation, which seemed to be caused by his wealth and celebrity, will certainly remind students of many tragic figures in popular culture.
Dunbar's poem highlights the schism between the outer and inner life. This time the social issue that keeps the speaker from revealing his true self to others is race. Although Dunbar's poem makes sense to teens even when the cultural and historical context is not included, the reading becomes much richer when it is. Dunbar was one of the first nationally renowned, black poets. At the time that he wrote the poem, minstrel shows were very popular forms of entertainment. The white performers in black face acted out comic stereotypes of African Americans that endured even after the shows ended. In this case the speaker of the poem seems to be hiding his feelings "behind the mask that grins and lies" for very complicated reasons.
Both Richard Cory and the speaker from "We Wear the Mask" seem to successfully hide their inner selves and are seen by others as types rather than people. It would be useful to share with students that the word stereotype originally referred to the mold or form used by artisans to create a repeating pattern. To hold a stereotype is to act as if all people from a particular group are stamped from the same mold and don't possess the complexity and uniqueness that real people do.
Much is left unsaid in both poems. We never hear the voice of Richard Cory and the speaker in "We Wear the Mask" does not express any hope for change. In order to imagine both characters, students can describe the mask that represents the character's outward appearance and then infer the character's inner feelings. Many teachers use a graphic organizer, a simple line drawing of an iceberg, to help students chart out both the visible and invisible qualities that a character possesses. The iceberg helps students to think metaphorically. Typically only one-eighth of an iceberg is visible above the surface of the water. Students list the facets of the character that are obvious to others above the water-line and the character's inner feelings below the waterline. For example, the student might list well-dressed above the water-line and lonely below the waterline when filling out the graphic organizer for Richard Cory.
Using Art and Photography to Teach the Concepts of Flat and Round Characters
To help students to recognize the difference between flat and round characters they can examine portraits of people. Artists and photographers have always revealed varied levels of depth in their subjects. Sometimes they present only one dimension of an individual; other times they capture the contradictions and complexities that are sometimes hidden from view. I chose to feature the popular rap artist, Lil Wayne, for the first activity because I recently came across a Rolling Stone magazine cover (April 7, 2009) that captured his complexity, a vulnerability and thoughtfulness that I didn't expect to see. I am not a fan of rap music. Because Lil Wayne's lyrics (those that I had heard) seemed negative and misogynistic to me, I dismissed him completely. In a sense, I saw only the "tip of the iceberg." The Rolling Stone cover made me question my assumptions. Lil Wayne's eyes are downcast and there is a sense of vulnerability about his pose that contradicts his thug image. In this photo, the tattoos on his eye-lids that say Fear and God are clearly legible. While those words seemed to have a religious or spiritual connotation, the tattoos of two tear drops etched by the corner of his eye tell a different story. In urban street culture, each tear you wear displayed as a tattoo symbolizes a person you have killed. This symbol in itself is contradictory; it seems to be both a declaration of remorse and a badge of honor. Perhaps it is even a warning to others. Drawing on their earlier discussions of cultural context, students can also discuss how Lil Wayne and his music are influenced by his circumstances. They can discuss how the photographer challenges some of the cultural assumptions that the audience might have about rap artists.
After looking at the Lil Wayne portraits, students will be more prepared to interpret portraits that are more far removed from their experience. Two paintings at the Yale Center for British Art that can be paired to demonstrate the difference between flat and round characters are the Portrait of Lady Clopton, c.1600 by Robert Peake and the portrait of Charles Stanhope, 3
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Earl of Harrington, 1782 by Joshua Reynolds. Lady Clopton's portrait is a commissioned piece that hangs in the gallery with other portraits from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that were painted in a similar style. The people featured are all wealthy aristocrats. Lady Clopton's painting is large, finely detailed and obviously posed; however it does not suggest anything about Clopton's personality. The most notable and detailed feature of the composition is Lady Clopton's jewelry. Students can discuss the attention that the artist paid to Lady Copton's jewelery. I a statement of her social standing or a testament to her vanity?
I would ask students to compare Lady Clopton's portrait to Charles Stanhope's. Although Stanhope's portrait was also commissioned by the subject, it is obviously more complex. The artist attempts to capture a moment of historical significance and portrays Stanhope as a victorious leader in battle. Using the VTS strategies, students can make more inferences about the subject and the artist's intentions because the image is rich and complex. There are inherent contradictions and ironies within the text. Although Stanhope's posture suggests that he is confidently leading his troops to victory, the "true" story does not match up. Stanhope failed miserably as a military leader. The suit of armor he wears has no real functional value. My students (or Lil Wayne for that matter) might refer to him as a poser; a rap term that refers to a person who is a phony. The painting of Stanhope, however, is more layered and complex than the portrait of Lady Clopton.
As students view this diverse group of images it would be helpful for them to add to their working definition of round and flat characters. To help students apply what they have learned about character, they can develop their own, more complex versions of stock characters that they find identify in formula fiction. By analyzing a number of synopses of formula fiction, like the Twilight, Gossip Girl or Princess Diaries series students could develop a character that they might identify as a type rather than a person. The student would choose an excerpt from the book that represents how that character is seen. Next, the student would do a rewrite of this section, creating a new character, in the similar situation who responds in the way a more multi-dimensional figure would behave.