Literary Genre Question

montown

"The creation of memorable characters is part of the art of good story-telling."

I have absolutely no idea how to answer this question, its coming up on my summer test this week, but i havent a clue what to write!

I've done Dancing At Lughanasa, Inside I'm Dancing and How Many Miles To Babylon?

Please help!

ReacherCreature

montown wrote: »

"The creation of memorable characters is part of the art of good story-telling."

I have absolutely no idea how to answer this question, its coming up on my summer test this week, but i havent a clue what to write!

I've done Dancing At Lughanasa, Inside I'm Dancing and How Many Miles To Babylon?

Please help!

Hmm. Not a Leaving Cert'er', I'll approach this with some common sense.

Well, simply, characters are a central piece to the story telling. The characters change, develop or drive the plot forward. How they do this are characteristics of the persons in-text, created by the author.

If a character isn't memorable, and poorly drawn up and badly implemented they or the story do not become memorable, they fade away and diminish. Look at the writers who have multiple books on the same character, the author is able to create a memorable character who leaves a long lasting impression. Note that the original "novel", or loosely changed, "story", goes back to the Greaco-Roman times were a means of entertainment as well as technical skill. Entertainment wise, the people associated with the characters, they liked them and the books provided a means of escapism. It's pretty much the same today.

If you're allowed to apply the three books to that title it's a dream question. Look at the primary characters and see how they add to, influence or change the story. Look at their postives and flaws. Are they humourous or tragic or bad? How has the author crafted them? What makes them memorable?

Not sure if it's any help. Just felt the need to get these thoughts down. Good luck with it!

ruairi3.14

Memorable characters have extreme character.

They have both positive and negative attributes.

Their extremes can be physical, mental, social, or spiritual.

These characteristics shape the point of view of the character and take the reader to new places in his or her mind.

Most protagonists have extreme positive attributes and utilizing them allows them to struggle and win. But they have negative attributes as well, and their internal conflict with overcoming their negative aspects can be the more entertaining side of them.

Protagonists have window characters who share some of the positive and negative attributes of the protagonist, but may fail in some way compared to the protagonist. They can pave the way for the protagonist to triumph or they can show the extremity of the protagonist's attributes by not measuring up.

Antagonists have extreme character as well, as do their window characters.

All of the attributes of the characters affect the plot and the engagement of the plot to readers.

Ruairi

Em ... English is over! - R.