English 12 Short Story Notes - Character Interpretative Fiction

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions related to character development and characterization in interpretative fiction.

Interpretative Fiction

Fiction that deals with characters who are complex and not easily labeled as good or bad.

Direct Presentation

An author tells us straight out what a character is like or has someone else in the story describe the character.

Indirect Presentation

An author shows us the character in action, allowing the reader to infer what the character is like based on their actions and words.

Static Character

A character who does not change throughout the story; for example, Cinderella remains the same from start to finish.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes a permanent change in personality, outlook, or behavior during the story.

Character Consistency

The principle that a character's behavior must be consistent unless there is a sufficient reason for a change.

Motivation

The reasons that drive a character to act in a certain way; characters must be clearly motivated in their actions.

Plausibility

The quality of having a believable character that could exist in real life; characters must seem lifelike.

Flat Character

A character characterized by one or two traits and can be summed up in a single sentence.

Round Character

A complex character who is fully developed and has multiple traits; an example includes Huck Finn.

Stock Character

A stereotyped figure that is easily recognized due to its frequent occurrence in fiction.