"A character is a caricature..."

"When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature."

~ Ernest Hemingway

 Characters Fascinate Me.

That is the simplest way to put it.  As long as I can remember, I have been entranced with characters of all kinds.  Each kind of character speaks my language and I typically either hate them or love them, as I should.  If I am not sighing with happiness, or shaking with rage by the time the book ends, the author has failed to introduce me to real, living people.  And real, living people are much more interesting than dry, cliché characters, right?

I have found that there are four kinds of characters:

1. The Hero/Heroine Character:

The Hero of any story doesn’t have to be of noble blood, nor wear armor or a crown. This character must be seeking to do the best he/she can to protect those they love, to pursue what they believe to be right, and to, above all, have fault. (I will discuss fault more later...)

2. The Villain/Antagonist Character:

The Villain of most stories is extremely wicked, and deplorable.  I can attest that those often make the most memorable “bad guys”, however I can also claim that the antagonistic character is merely the one who, sometimes unknowingly, gets in the way of what the hero wants.  This character must have fault and weakness, but they must also have a goal and something they seek to attain or achieve.  This perhaps, is the most interesting character, and original.

3. The Supporting Character:

The Supporting Character is really a hero/heroin or a villain/antagonist.  These are the characters that in some cases would go to the ends of the world with the main character, out of love or fear, or some other reason.  These are also the characters that would betray the main character, out of love or fear, etc.  The Supporting Character is the one with often the most influence in the story, if you think about it.  They must have fault and motive.  Lots of motive.

And last but not least,

4. The Eccentric Character

The Eccentric Character, my friends, is the character that doesn’t fit snuggly in any of the other three categories; and when you close the book, you can remember he/she as well as you can your sibling.   The faults, (which they must have), and the quirks, (which is mandatory as well), are as real to you as your closest friend’s.  This character is often a supporting character, but is prone to be a tad odd.

 Before we press on too far ahead, let me say a word about Fault.  Fault is a necessary ingredient to make a character alive, because unless stated otherwise, characters must be human, and what is a human without fault?  Some faults can be huge, red flags that make us shy away or feel uncomfortable, others can be small, somewhat petty things.  Whatever the size or depth of the fault, it must, must, must be there.  It must.

Here are a few examples of my favorite characters placed into one of these four characters.

The Hero/Heroine Character:

Aragorn from Lord of the Rings

“If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. ”

That nearly sums up his Hero-ness all by himself.  But where is his fault?  If you read this and cry, “Aragorn has NO fault!” I stand to correct you.  Aragorn has the fault of doubt.  He doubts his ability to be king and rise up to that place of leadership.  His lack of self-confidence is his fault, however, he does learn to overcome it. (One of the best kinds of heroes!)

Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre

“I am not an angel," I asserted; "and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.”

Jane Eyre is a very moral and upright girl who struggles to find her place in the world, where she does not seem to be wanted.  She sticks very strongly to her beliefs and upholds her virtues.  Her fault is that she can be rather stubborn and quick-tempered, but it is usually only when she feels threatened on the ground of her virtues.

The Villain/Antagonist Character:

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice

"Where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation."

I risk death to suggest that Mr. Darcy is the antagonist of Pride and Prejudice.  His fault is vanity and slight conceit, (why not just some it up as pride?).  He is not wicked, but he interferes with the goals and happiness of Protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet.  But fear not, Jane Austen Fans, Mr. Darcy redeems himself and by the end of the book sheds his cloak as Antagonist.

Empress Jadis (AKA The White Witch) from The Chronicles of Narnia

"You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny."

Here is a good old stereotypical villain for you.  Her fault is totally pride, murder and witchy-ness.  Yeah, villain!

The Supporting Character

Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

Sydney Carton is the protagonist supporting character.  He would give everything he has for love, and for a love that would never be his.  He is the nobility and sacrifice of the book and I love him for it.  His fault?  He drinks a bit excessively.  That’s all I could come up with...

Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings

“Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you.”

I know I already used a Lord of the Rings Character, but I couldn’t resist.  Sam is the best supporting character you could ask for.  He never once complained, he never once gave thought of going back, but he pushed on until the end.  He was amazing.  Samwise has a fault?  Well, he does listen under the eaves.  I guess he got punished enough for that!

The Eccentric

Amy March from Little Women

“Butter! Oh isn’t butter divinity? Oh God thank you for this breakfast!”

Amy is the youngest of the four March girls, and perhaps the queerest.  She is a supporting protagonist character that gets the Eccentric award.  She is a bit vain.

Colin Craven from The Secret Garden

“She is my mother,” said Colin complainingly. “I don’t see why she died. Sometimes I hate her for doing it.”

Colin is convinced, absolutely convinced that he is going to die.  For nearly the entirety of his appearances in the book, he is a selfish, sickly little lord who demands of everyone that he must have his way and that he will not live to go bald.  Can you guess his fault?

So, those are my four Character Types.  What characters do you love and how do they fit into these sections?  Hint: Some characters can fit into more than one section. 

Reflections

Reflections

Janelle Spiers

The water ripples silently

Like all my thoughts combined,

I listen for the creak of oars;

Such sound I cannot find.

You’ve been away too long, My Love,

Why must you go so far?

My heart has never been my own,

For it goes where you are.

Come home to me and stay awhile,

Come bring me back my heart.

The water calls, it beckons you,

But the sea tears us apart.

I watch the wind raise up a storm,

And hope that you are well.

The gales are fast and blowing strong,

Sail home on swifter swell.

You’ve been away too long, Brave Heart,

When will you come this way?

My eyes watch ever searchingly,

In dark of night and day.

The sun reflects my straying heart;

Travelling the ocean wide.

I wait for you, and think of you,

Sail home on the next tide.

Come home to me and stay awhile,

Come bring me back my heart.

The water calls, it beckons you,

But the sea tears us apart.

Adventures In Our Path

Adventures In Our Path

Janelle Spiers

" “I don’t like anything here at all.” said Frodo, “step or stone, breath or bone. Earth, air and water all seem accursed. But so our path is laid.”

“Yes, that’s so,” said Sam, “And we shouldn’t be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo, adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on, and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same; like old Mr Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?”

“I wonder,” said Frodo, “But I don’t know. And that’s the way of a real tale. Take any one that you’re fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don’t know. And you don’t want them to.”  "

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings



I couldn't agree more with the two brave hobbits.  They were in an adventure that none could have told them about before they started, and they hardly looked for it, either.  Is it possible that adventure comes to you, and not you to it?

But Frodo's line at the end, caught my attention.  I applied it to any tale that I am fond of, and found that it is true.

" 'And that’s the way of a real tale. Take any one that you’re fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don’t know. And you don’t want them to.”  "

What's your favorite (you can have more than one favorite) story, that you saw the end coming, you knew what would happen, and all along, you wished and wished and wished for it to come true, but you never want the character to know what's coming?  What would it change, if the heroin knew ahead of time she would marry the hero?  What would change if the villain knew he would die after years and years of wasted toil?  Would the characters have as much incentive to do good deeds, if they knew they wouldn't live to the end of the book?

Maybe that is what God does for us.  He knows the end, He's already written the last word, but He doesn't want us to know.  If we knew, why would we go on the adventures in our path?  We would already know if they would fail or succeed.  

I think that He doesn't tell us why something happens, or when something will happen for our own good. He plans to keep us on our toes, to keep us ready to see what's going to come on the next page.  I think I like it better that way; it makes all of life seem like an adventure.