Introduction
As a creative writer, crafting well-rounded and believable characters can be one of the most daunting tasks. However, writing a character analysis can be an incredibly helpful tool in understanding the complexities of your characters.
A character analysis is a thorough examination of a character’s traits, motivations, and actions throughout a story. It allows writers to gain a deeper understanding of their characters and helps readers connect with them on a more personal level.
In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to write a character analysis, offer real-life examples, explore the importance of finding supporting details in an analysis, and even take a psychoanalytic twist on understanding a character’s motivations.
Step-by-Step Guide
A character analysis begins with selecting a character to examine. This can be the protagonist, antagonist, or a supporting character who catches your attention. Once you have chosen a character, the next step is to gather information and research about them.
You can gather information about the character in various ways, including reading the story, taking notes on the character’s actions and reactions, or reading critical analyses of the work. Importantly, while collecting information, you should consider the following:
- The character’s personality traits
- Their motivations, values, and beliefs
- Their role in the story
- Their relationships with other characters
- The character’s impact on the story
After gathering information, the next step is to analyze the character’s traits, motivations, and actions. You should start by creating an outline of your analysis, jotting down all the points that come to your mind, and then organizing them coherently.
In analyzing the character’s traits, you should consider how their personality traits contribute to their behavior and interactions with other characters. You should also examine their values, beliefs, and motivations, and consider how these beliefs and motivations drive their actions.
Another critical aspect is examining the character’s actions throughout the story. You should ask yourself questions such as why the character acts a certain way in a situation, what drives their decision-making, and how their decisions impact the story as a whole.
Finally, when writing a character analysis, it’s essential to provide supporting details to back up your analysis. You can use quotes from the story, reference earlier parts of the story, or cite critical analyses to back up your claims.
Examples of Character Analysis
Examining real-life examples can help writers better understand how to craft compelling character analyses. In essence, analyzing the literary characters requires deducing the writers’ objective, which is often much broader from exploring the themes and subthemes that run throughout the story.
One great example is the analysis of Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Scrooge’s transformation from a miserly and greedy character to a generous and kind-hearted character serves as a testament to the transformative power of the human experience.
Another interesting character analysis is that of Othello from Shakespeare’s “Othello.” In analyzing Othello, one could focus on his insecurities and how they ultimately lead him to carry out heinous acts.
Analyzing a Popular Character
Choosing a popular character can be a fun exercise in character analysis. For this section, let’s take the example of Daenerys Targaryen from George R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones.”
What makes Daenerys such a memorable character is her unwavering determination and grit. Despite facing significant challenges and setbacks, she remains committed to her ultimate goal of conquering the Seven Kingdoms and restoring her family to power.
Additionally, Daenerys exhibits qualities that make her stand out as a leader; cleverness, resourcefulness, and long-sightedness shape her personality positively. Her inexorable quest for power forms the backbone of her character for analyzing her psychology and the motivations for her actions.
Adding a Psychoanalytic Twist
Psychoanalytic theory provides an excellent tool in understanding a character’s motivations and actions. It analyses how the character’s psychological makeup and character traits influence their decision-making processes.
In psychoanalysis, the character’s unconscious desires, memories, and childhood experiences can create a framework for understanding human behavior and thought processes. Writers can incorporate these concepts into their analyses by asking questions such as “what early childhood experiences shaped the character’s personality?”
One great example of psychoanalyzing a character is Nick Carraway in “The Great Gatsby.” In critically analyzing Nick’s character, we can deduce that he is an unreliable narrator due to his psychological hang-ups.
Building a Character Arc
Building a character arc is an important aspect of character analysis. It enables the writer to track the character’s development throughout the story, thus, helping the writer make informed decisions about character progression.
A character arc is a journey that a character takes throughout a story, often moving through different emotional states, intelligence, analysis, and attitudes.
In analyzing a character arc, you should consider examining how the character interacts with other characters, how their behavior changes over time, what motivates the change, and how the change contributes to the story’s overall message.
Conclusion
Writing a character analysis can be an incredibly powerful tool in crafting well-rounded and engaging characters. By following the steps provided in this article, writers can analyze their characters in a more systematic and thorough manner.
Remember, finding supporting details, using real-life examples, using psychoanalytic theory, and building a character arc are all important aspects of writing a successful character analysis.
