A character is a person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, and characterization is the process by which a writer makes that character seem real to the reader. A hero or heroine, often called the protagonist, is the central character who engages the reader’s interest and empathy. The antagonist is the character, force, or collection of forces that stands directly opposed to the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story. A static character does not change throughout the work, and the reader’s knowledge of that character does not grow, whereas a dynamic character undergoes some kind of change because of the action in the plot. A flat character embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or traits that can be readily described in a brief summary. They are not psychologically complex characters and therefore are readily accessible to readers.
I would encourage you to start a list of the essential characters in This Boy's Life--I will provide feedback for you as these submissions start rolling in.
Best,
AK
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Do well and let them talk
A Class Blog for the English 9A Class At Berwick Academy
A Few Link To T. Wolff
Tor House
Do well and let them talk
12 comments:
Toby=the protagonist, a boy who struggles through a disasterous and abused childhood.
Rosemary=Toby's mother. She constantly has relationships with violent men, contributing to Toby's unhappy life. She and Toby share a strong bond.
Dwight=Toby's stepfather. He constantly abuses Toby and threatens his mother. Everyone he meets dislikes him.
Ben--
Thank you for being the first to respond.
I would say the following about your post:
1.) How can you enrich the importance of these characters by providing more specific examples of who they are and what they primary function is?
Example: What are the page numbers and passages that highlight their essential importance?
2.) Can you provide a more literal representation of who the characters are?
Example: Toby--the narrator and protagonist of the story, but also how old is he, when is he writing this memoir (how does this influence his memories), etc.
Please do not feel as if you need to answer all of these questions completely. Keep the comments coming, and I will keep the feedback rolling.
Best,
AK
Arthur: Toby's so called friend. He doesn't have any other friends. Everyone calls him a sissy behind his back. he can't stand it.
Norma: Toby's half-sister. She is much older than Toby. Toby is in love with her. It is a one way relationship. She is bubbly.
Bobby Crow: Norma's first boy friend. She dates him through high school. He is 1/2 Native American and very amazing at anything he does. He has a laid back personality. Norma doesn't marry him because he "doesn't have enough potential".
Kenneth: Norma's abusive husband who came after Bobby Crow. He is extremely arrogant. He makes Norma very depressed and she takes up smoking.
Skipper: Norma's brother and Toby's half brother. He is nice to Toby. Toby looks up to him as a role model. He loves the car he remodeled.
Pearl: Toby's 1/2 sister that is his age. She is Norma and Skipper's little sister. She and Toby pretend to hate each other, but really they are friends and help each other go through the abuse Dwight gives them.
Toby- Toby Wolff lives as an average boy in the 1950’s, moving along at the same slow pace as their automobiles. Toby is the protagonist, he is the boy the entire story revolves around as it is from his point of view. Toby is an example of a boy going through the changes in life; losing a family, moving onward, accepting new people in his life, forming morality, and discovering an identity. “The movement of my legs began to feel foreign to me, and then the rest of my body, foreign and unconvincing, as if I were only pretending to be someone. I watched this body clomp along, I was outside it, watching it without belief” (174-175). Toby undergoes many dramatic changes, ones that leave him as a hallow shell of the original character. His purpose throughout the story is to engage us into his view of change and transformation; the one thing we all are forced to undertake.
Terry Silver and Terry Taylor: These are two boys who are Toby's "friends". While they are mainly flat, they make Toby into a more dynamic character. They form Toby's love of stealing and mischief that then influence him throughout the rest of his schooling. The Terrys are full of mischief and delight in the anguish of others. They are also the epitome of uncool- they try too hard to be cool. This instills in Toby the fear of being uncool that influences him throughout his life. Toby's fear of being uncool causes him to make many bad choices, and they all go back to when he was eleven and living in Seattle.
I think it's really difficult to point out the essential characters of this book. Yes, the main characters are Toby and Rosemary but every character affected Toby's life in some way and I feel like if I name one person, I am leaving out another one.
Toby is the narrator of the book. It is an autobiography in Toby's point of view. Toby starts out at about the age of 10. Toby is the protagonist, we feel so much for him throughout the book as he is abused "His open hands lashed back and forth across my face" (177), and when good fortune finds its way to Toby "'What kind of bicycle would you like to have, Jack?'" (53).
Rosemary is very much a dynamic character. She changes along with Toby throughout the book. She is the only parent Toby has, but Toby seeks a father figure in the men she dates which is not a good thing because she does not date men that are good role models. "...we were driving from Florida to Utah, to get away from a man my mother was afraid of..." (4).
The antagonist changes throughout the book but for the most part Dwight takes up the role as the antagonist. He most definitely gives rise to the plot and opposes Toby "We hated each other. We hated each other so much that other feelings didn't get enough light. It disfigured me" (232).
There are so many other characters that contribute to This Boy's Life, especially the friends that Toby spends time with. They seem to affect how he acts/behaves.
Wolff seems brilliant and I agree with Alex, it will be difficult in this memoir to pull round from flat. I think Wolff wouldn't have mentioned a name with out it having some significance. From all the minor characters mentioned like the old man who sold Rosemary the Uranium counter to Dwight himself, they have all shaped Toby's life and future.
Everyone had some roundness and depth no matter what.
Eliza
A couple things:
1.) Ms. Putnam, would you call Terry Taylor and Terry Silver friends? Can an antagonist be your friend? Also, what is the central function of these characters--simply, how does Toby learn more about himself through his interactions with these two characters?
2.) Ms. Wood, I agree whole heartily with your statement about how/why this is a difficult exercise, so I would encourage you (and everybody) else to possibly break the list down to round v. flat, static v. dynamic characters. I also think that a flat/static character can be an essential character.
Hope this helps a little.
Thank you for posting.
And now it hits me--
"a static character does not change throughout the work..."
Just because a static character does not change--does that mean that they can't change the more central (round) characters in the book?
Thus are these minor characters from Sister James to the Terry's to the man who sold Rosemary the Uranium detector enriching the reader's understanding of the round characters in the memoir.
Just my thought--but I wonder what you think...keep these coming.
Best,
AK
Mr. Howard represents Hill, the prep school Toby applies to. He is a flat character, but he contributes significantly to the story nonetheless. Toby sees him as someone to be looked up to, and he admires him. First of all because he owns a Thunderbird. Toby also admires Mr. Howard because he's so naturally easygoing. "Without affecting boyishness, Mr. Howard still had the boy in him. He bounced a little as he walked. His narrow face was lively, foxlike" (223). "Mr. Howard wore his suit and tie as if he didn't know he had them on" (224). Toby makes a large effort to make please Mr. Howard, as he thinks very highly of him, therefore making the choice to go to Hill. "...I could see that any other answer would have broken his heart" (272). Therefore, even though Mr. Howard does not change himself, he contributes to Toby's change and growth.
Gil- Gil is a man that Rosemary dates. He promises to give Toby a bike, which is the only reason she goes out with him. Gil changes Rosemary. She comes back after the date and cries for most of the night. Toby comforts her, which brings Toby and Rosemary closer. It also helps teach Rosemary the difference between nice guys and mean guys. After going out with Gil, and seeing her other friends with husbands she decides that she deserves a husband as well and decides to start looking for one.
~ Maddy
Arthur: He is a round character. Our image of him changes throughout the story. He evolves as a character and helps to change Toby's outcome in life so I would also consider him a dynamic character.
Kenneth and Bobby Crow: Kenneth is a flat and static character. Our knowledge doesn't change about him, and he doesn't impact Toby's outcome from the story very much either. He just whisks Norma away, but what really impacted Toby was Bobby Crow's love towards Norma. Bobby Crow is flat character, but he is dynamic because he makes Toby realize that Norma isn't in love with Toby, she is in love with Bobby Crow.
Pearl, Skipper, and Norma: They are all flat characters - our knowledge doesn't change about them during the book, but dynamically they help to change who Toby is and they help to shape Toby's story.
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