Christopher Leland, in his book THE ART OF COMPELLING FICTION talks about the geometry of character and the writer’s ultimate pursuit to create characters that remain with the reader long after the story’s experience is over. This “geometric characterization” he divides into three categories: flat, angled and rounded.
A flat character is one who represents a single idea or quality. Always consistent, ever static. Stereotypical characters fall into this category, where their actions and reactions are predictable and clichéd. Leland goes on to say that flat characters are not necessarily unimportant or bad, as Charles Dickens proved with Uraiah Heep or Bob Crachit. Oscar Wilde’s Lady Bracknell in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, is also considered by many to be flat. These characters have specific quirks that overwhelm all other elements of their personalities Even Tom Wolfe portrays his characters first and foremost as self-serving political sharks in BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES. Leland goes on to say that most of the characters in the modern entertainment world are flat, as well, using John Rambo as the perfect example of an iconic hero--one who hums along like a “well-tuned Chevrolet”--who stands for truth and justice with no self-doubt. Tempting to cheer for, but not the shade of realism we hope to capture in our pages.
Angled characters take on a complexity the flat characters do not have. These are characters, often major secondary characters, who show us more complex responses to stimuli or have a greater impact on the story’s protagonist than what a flat character would. These are characters that make an impression on the reader, for better or worse, and have enough substance to make their purpose in the story believable.
Rounded characters are the complete figures who populate some of the best literature ever written. They can hold two contradictory opinions at the same time. They’re colored with the rich hues of real people we know, show a range of emotions and are able to surprise the reader in a convincing way. Not always easy. As a writer, it’s difficult to surprise in a believable way, but in a way the reader could not have anticipated. One of the reader’s greatest joys should be to discover the layers of a character and delight in peeling them back to find the substance and truth. Holden Caulfield is a perfect example of a rounded character. The reader believes him to be an obnoxious ego-centric adolescent at the beginning, but he changes geometrical shapes into a vulnerable youth who makes a lasting impact that remain with the reader long past the final page. According to Leland, “the more rounded a character, the more shaded his personality, the more easily the reader sympathizes with him.”
What is the geometry of your protagonist? Your secondary characters?
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3 comments:
L.A. you always post thought provoking helpful blogs. I strive to make my characters rounded, but sometimes they come out trapezoid. :)
Interesting. I've never read anything by Leland. I need to check this out.
Thanks, LA
Good insight, and it doesn't surprise me you can think in multiple directions.
My rounded characters are more, um, diamonds. Loads of facets to explore depending on which way the stone is turned. Glacial, glistening and riveting. Yep, that's how I like 'em.
I adore secondary characters and what they can add to a protagonist. It's so much easier to show than tell with the right secondary characters in place.
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