English 103
Character Essay #3
• Pick one character from Streetcar Named Desire.
• Read Character Essay in Course Materials/ Streetcar on
Blackboard.
• Write a solid thesis (one sentence) for your essay.
• Prepare an Outline using Essayoutline.docx or Essayoutline.pdf
on Blackboard
• Write a five paragraph essay of about 600-750 words.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread.
• Turn it in on Tuesday, November 23.
• Have a nice Thanksgiving.
Character Analysis
(CJ.lE'UJLEW
One of the ongoing tasks of life is trying to understand ourselves, our reactions,
our motives, our values. Literature can help us do that by showing human beings caught in conflict
with themselves and/or some element of the world around them. By understanding their actions, we
sometimes gain insight into our own.
Types of Characters
Using their medium of words, authors create characters who seem real to us. They are the people we meet
in a story, poem, or play. The main character is called the protagonist; he or she is the person whose will
moves the action of the plot. This character is usually trying to achieve a goal, and if the goal is an admirable one and the character exhibits admirable traits in the pursuit of it, he or she may also be called the
hero or the heroine. If, however, the central character exhibits negative traits, such as being dishonest or
inept, he or she may be labeled an anti-hero.
Since fiction is based on conflict, the protagonist struggles against an antagonist, another person,
nature, society, technology, supernatural elements, or even himself. As the conflict increases and the protagonist struggles to achieve his goal, he reveals his personality through his words, actions, interactions,
and choices. As the climax of the conflict approaches, the protagonist learns from the experience and by
the end of the story has changed because of the insights that he has gained into life, himself, and others.
Because of his change, the protagonist is said to be a "round" character, a term coined by E. M. Forster
in Aspects of the Novel. Round characters truly seem real to us because of the way they are developed by
the author. Like us, they have experiences that change the way they look at life; like us, they are dynamic,
constantly evolving personalities.
In contrast, "flat" characters-another Forster term-usually do not change in the course of the story.
They may serve as a catalyst for the protagonist's change, but most often they are static, unchanged by
the action of the plot. Many flat characters serve minor roles in stories, so they are not fully developed as
unique characters. When they exhibit traits that are usually associated with typical roles in literature, like
the domineering mother or the corrupt politician, they may be labeled as stereotypes or stock characters. Occasionally a flat character may function as a foil who contrasts with the protagonist to emphasize
character traits that are important to the plot.
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CHAPTER FOFR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
The characters in Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" illustrate the types
of roles characters can play in fiction. The protagonist is Francis Macomber, a fact pointed out clearly
by the title. He is a round character who undergoes a dramatic change from coward to brave man while
on safari in Africa. One of Francis's antagonists in the story is his wife, Margaret. She is a flat character
who does not change; she has always belittled Francis's manhood, and she does that in a final way by killing him just as he learns how to face life. Robert Wilson, the safari leader, is another flat character who
serves as a foil for Francis. His bravery contrasts starkly with Francis's cowardliness, and his control over
Margaret at the end of the story illustrates the control Francis would have had if he had lived. All of these
characters are effective because of Hemingway's masterful use of characterization.
Fictional Characters and Their Traits
Like people, fictional characters have personality traits that they exhibit in the course of the work. If authors want us to like or even love a character, they will give him or her likeable, lovable, admirable traits;
if they wish us to dislike a character or to be indifferent to him or her, they will choose the character traits
that will produce that effect.
Character traits are attitudes or behaviors that reflect one's personality, that combination of qualities
that help to distinguish one person from another. For example, like people, characters may be brave or
cowardly, supportive or sarcastic, domineering or submissive, cold or loving, happy or miserable, passive
or aggressive, open-minded or prejudiced, honest or dishonest, positive or negative, naive or sophisticated-the list goes on endlessly. To create these qualities, authors use a variety of methods of characterization, making their characters come alive on the page.
A Character's Physical Appearance and Name
As authors create their characters, one method they may use is to include some details of physical appearance. It is almost impossible to judge a person totally on his or her appearance in real life, but there
are many stereotypes which authors may employ to evoke particular responses in their readers. There
are, for example, particular aspects of appearance which the general public usually associates with manliness-thick hair (everywhere!), a ruddy complexion, broad shoulders, a muscular build, large, strong
hands, and a deep voice. Weakness, on the other hand, may be suggested by thinning hair, a sallow complexion, rounded shoulders, a slight build, feminine hands, and a high-pitched voice. The femme fatale
will probably have blonde hair, a fair complexion, a 38-24-36 figure, and long red fingernails. Chances are
that the female heroine will have brown hair, a dark complexion, a motherly figure, and soft, gentle hands.
Of course, the author could want to fool his readers and so reverse these stereotypes, as when the mildmannered, soft-spoken little man turns out to be a brave soldier in a war story or a multiple murderer in
detective fiction.
Most often, however, authors make a character's appearance fit the role he or she plays in a work. In
Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber;' 1 Robert Wilson, the safari leader, is a man
who has it all together. His appearance shows that he has adapted to the jungle setting and the dangers it
holds: "He was about middle height with sandy hair, a stubby mustache, a very red face and extremely cold
blue eyes with faint white wrinkles at the corners that grooved merrily when he smiled" (6). Hemingway
1
Reprinted with permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, from The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway.
Copyright 1936 by Ernest Hemingway. Copyright renewed © 1964 by Mary Hemingway.
CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
53
also describes "his big brown hands, his old slacks, his very dirty boots .. :· (6). Wilson's description emphasizes his experience and his casual attitude toward his highly dangerous job.
Since authors are also naming their characters as well as describing them, it's a good idea to pay attention to the names characters have. In Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber;' the
two male characters are named Robert and Francis. The first name obviously is strongly masculine, while
the second is sexually ambivalent. This is another clue to the fact that Robert Wilson has mastered fear
and faces life and death courageously, while Francis Macomber at the start of the story is a coward who
runs from dangerous situations. Flannery O'Connor's Misfit in ''A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and John
Updike's Queenie in ''A & P" are other characters whose names reflect their personalities. The Misfit is a
violent criminal with a confused past, and Queenie walks, talks, and acts like a queen as she shops in a
small-town A & P.
· Be sure to watch, then, for details of appearance and for names when studying character; they can be
good clues to a character's personality.
A Character's Actions
The actions of a character in a story are also clues to his or her personality. The old cliche ''Actions
speak louder than words" is particularly true in fiction, or as Aristotle put it, ''Action is character:'
A character's behavior is usually motivated by his or her attitudes and values, so by examining behavior,
readers can get to the heart and soul of a character. Like a psychiatrist, an informed reader seeks the reasons for actions to determine what they reveal about the inner person. For example, in ''A & P" by John
Updike, Sammy reveals that he believes in people when he confronts his boss, Lengel, about his treatment
of three girls, while Lengel reveals that policy comes before people in his value system.
Authors will usually attempt to keep a character's actions consistent throughout a work once his or
her personality and motives are understood. For example, June Star in ''A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by
Flannery O'Connor is consistently outspoken and insulting even though she moves from a familiar situation into a dangerous, threatening one. She says unkind things to her grandmother at home, and she even
insults an escaped convict as he is about to murder her on a lonely back road in Georgia. Occasionally,
however, authors might have a character "step out of character" to produce surprise or suspense in a work,
but most often actions are reliable clues to a character's real self.
A Character's Choices
Since most narrative and dramatic works focus on characters involved in some type of conflict, they will
probably need to make choices as they deal with their problems. As those choices are made, they reveal
the character's values and self-concept and can serve as a basis for our judgments about him or her.
In "Gift of Grass" by Alice Adams, Cathy, the protagonist, is a sixteen-year-old who is seeing a psychiatrist-at her parents' insistence-because she does not want to return to school. On her way home
from the doctor's office, she sees some kids she knows in the park, but rather than join them, she leaves
the path and goes into the woods where she smokes marijuana. The choices Cathy makes here reveal that
she feels uncomfortable with others, probably because of her lack of self-esteem. By choosing drugs and
escape instead of friendship, she shows that she is unwilling or unable at this point to be open to others.
This is emphasized when the psychiatrist asks her what she likes, and she chooses clouds and foghorns,
both of which suggest obscurity and hiding from life. Cathy's choices, like ours in real life, reveal her
conscious and unconscious personality.
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CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
A Character's Speech
Since there is no such thing as "small talk" in fiction, speech is also a clue to character. Every word spoken
by a character is a clue to some part of his or her personality. Because authors must necessarily compress
experience, they squeeze out all the conversational "fillers" and include only those statements which reveal character and advance the plot. You must realize, however, that a character's statements will not be
like those of a writer in True Confession. The typical character will not tell you that he or she is unhappy,
domineering, selfish, or psychotic. For example, in James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty;'
Mrs. Mitty will not say, 'Tm domineering"; you will infer that she is when you hear her tell Walter, her
husband, how to drive, to put on his gloves, and to buy overshoes. As a reader, you must take on the role
of a psychiatrist who looks for the reasons behind a statement and for the personality traits a statement
could reveal, making inferences and moving from the statement to the mind behind it.
It should be pointed out that isolated statements or statements taken out of context can sometimes be
interpreted in various ways. For example, if a young man says "All girls adore me" to a girl he's just met
and is trying to impress, it could mean that he's egotistical and suffering from a superiority complex or that
he's shy and covering up for an inferiority complex. The point to remember is that statements by characters
must be interpreted within the context of the story and in relation to the totality of the character revealed
by all the methods of characterization employed by the author.
If you really listen to the conversation of people around you, you'll be amazed at what you'll learn and
discover about them. Then apply that technique to fiction, and you'll be equally surprised.
A Character's Thoughts and Feelings
The statement "A penny for your thoughts" indicates a general desire to know what others are thinking.
Although we ourselves can never get into the mind of another person, the omniscient narrator does when
he records the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The purpose of reporting these details is to add
depth to the characters in the story. They become more real to us as we see how their minds work and
how they arrive at decisions that affect their lives and reveal their personalities.
In "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber;' 2 the omniscient narrator lets us into Margaret
Macomber's thoughts as she contemplates the change in Francis from cowardice to courage: "she saw
the change in Francis Macomber now.... 'You've gotten awfully brave, awfully suddenly; his wife said
contemptuously, but her contempt was not secure. She was very afraid of something" (26). Tuse insights
into her thoughts and fears show us that Margaret Macomber is very insecure-so insecure that she would
even consider murder rather than lose her control over her husband. Learning a character's thoughts and
emotions, then, teaches us a lot about the human personality and about the complexity of human motivation which can include such factors as love, hate, fear, revenge, status, power, fame, or fortune.
A Character's Past
A character's past often indicates some important things about his or her personality. Psychologists tell us
that we are the products of our early environment and of our past experiences. Children growing up in
the ghetto or in upper-class suburbs learn a lifestyle and a set of values much different from each other's.
They usually imitate the adult patterns they see around them, not knowing that their basic personalities
are being formed.
2
Reprinted with permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, from The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway.
Copyright 1936 by Ernest Hemingway. Copyright renewed © 1964 by Mary Hemingway.
CHAPTER F01IR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
55
Authors are aware of the significance of a person's background, and they may choose to include biographical details to give the reader some insight into a character's makeup and motivation. As The Misfit
relates details of his past in Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find;' 3 it is easy to see that all
of his experiences with death and brutality could have definitely made him the cold-hearted person he
has become: '"I been most everything. Been in the arm service, both land and sea, at home and abroad,
been twice married, been an undertaker, been with the railroads, plowed Mother Earth, been in a tornado,
seen a man burnt alive oncet; ... 'I even seen a woman flogged; he said" (129-130). The Misfit's psychotic
personality and his calloused attitudes toward life and death have been shaped by these experiences of
his past. Since the past is always a good clue to the present and to the future, note the biographical details-family history, nationality, education, and significant life experiences-that an author includes and
examine them as a psychiatrist or a detective would.
A Character's Comments about Other Characters
Do you ever talk about your friends or your family? Characters in fiction do, too, but their conversations
are generally not just idle gossip. Their statements about each other are most often designed to reveal
significant things about themselves and about the personalities and motives of the other characters. But
just as you don't believe everything you hear about others in real life, it is also necessary in fiction to
determine the reliability of the speaker. If the speaker is generally likeable because of the positive qualities he's been given by the author, his statements can generally be accepted and believed at face value. If,
however, the speaker is generally disliked by most readers because of his negative qualities, his evaluations
and judgments should probably be looked upon with skepticism. In Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life
of Francis Macomber;' for example, Robert Wilson is generally admired by most readers because of his
courage and because of his cool efficiency as a safari leader. When he evaluates Margaret Macomber's
motives and accuses her of mu.rder at the end of the story, we are expected by Hemingway to agree with
that judgment. On the other hand, James Thurber, in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty;' makes the reader
dislike Mrs. Mitty because of her domineering super-mother attitude toward her husband. When she tells
Walter that she thinks he's sick because he has talked back to her, the reader doubts her evaluation and
generally believes that Walter is much healthier emotionally than she is. The intelligent reader of fiction
always listens attentively to what characters say about each other, but he also evaluates the speakers before
he accepts their judgments.
A Narrator's Comments about a Character
When a third-person narrator describes a character's motivation, it is usually a clue to his or her personality
since one's inner qualities usually shape one's actions. In Hemingway's The Old Man and The Sea, 4 the narrator tells us about Santiago, the protagonist-hero: "Once there had been a tinted photograph of his wife
on the wall but he had taken it down because it made him too lonely to see it and it was on the shelf in
the corner under his clean shirt" (16). The loneliness the narrator ascribes to Santiago early in the novella
alerts us to his sensitive and loving nature. Surely he loved his wife very much if the pain of seeing her
picture is too much for him to bear. This quality is reinforced later when the narrator tells us Santiago
"loved green turtles and hawk-bills with their elegance and speed" (36) and he "loved [the marlin] when
he was alive and [he] loved him after" he had finally managed to kill him (105). Santiago's love for people
Excerpts from A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND, copyright 1953 by Flannery O'Connor and renewed 1981 by Mrs. Regina O'Connor, reprinted by permission of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
'(New York: Macmillan, 1952).
3
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CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
and for nature is dearly portrayed by the narrator's choice of words, so when a narrator helps to define a
character's qualities through narrated details, be sure to take note.
Writing about Character: Step by Step
Writing about a character in any form of literature involves noting and analyzing the methods of characterization as the author employs them. They will enable you to characterize the people in a fictional work
or a play or the speaker in a poem.
To write an essay analyzing character, simply follow these easy steps:
1. · Choose a character who, for any reason, interests you, one whose personality you would like to
explore in greater depth.
2. To formulate a thesis, choose one of the following organizational approaches or combine two or
more:
a.
b.
c.
d.
the major traits that a character exhibits throughout the work;
the causes of a character's actions, choices, or thoughts and feelings;
the changes a character undergoes in the course of the work;
the significant actions, speeches, choices, objects, or places that help to reveal a character's
traits;
e. the points of likeness or difference that exist between this character and another character in
the work;
f. the things that are said about a character by the other characters or by the narrator;
g. the significance of a minor or flat character in the work.
3. Locate specific pages and quotations in the short story/novel/drama/poem that prove the thesis
points you have chosen. Look for the sections that directly relate to the subject character and to
that character's actions and interactions with others.
4. In the thesis, determine a logical order for the presentation of your points. If a logical order cannot
be determined, then employ a chronological or time order or an order of importance, saving the
most significant point or the one with the strongest proof for the last position.
5. Organize each thesis point into separate body paragraphs by using the pattern of topic sentence,
introduction to a quote, quotations/ details, and analysis and by repeating this pattern as often as
necessary within the paragraph to build your case. In developing the body paragraphs, remember
that the analysis sections are the most important. Consider how the quotations/ details illustrate,
reinforce, or prove your point. If, for example, you say a character is submissive and then quote
a section showing him following his wife's orders, you must explain how and why this behavior
shows that he is submissive. Analysis always answers the questions of how and why: how and why
does the example given in the quotation show/prove the topic sentence.
6. Conclude your essay by restating the points you've proven about the character and by emphasizing
the importance or the significance of the character in the work as a whole.
The following diagram, model essays, and plan sheet will help you prepare to write a thoroughly developed and well supported essay.
CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Diagram of the Structure of a Character Analysis Essay
Title
Introductory Paragraph
Open with interesting lead material.
Name the work and the author.
Give a brief summary of the plot and state the importance of the
character you plan to analyze.
Begin to narrow your focus and work down to the thesis state
ment which embodies the key points from the organizational
approach you have chosen.
Body Paragraphs
In the first part of the body, discuss point one by beginning with a topic
sentence which includes the key words from point one in the thesis. Lead
into a quotation by giving it a brief background, quote from the work, and
then analyze the quotation in relation to the generalization it supports. Repeat this pattern as often as necessary to thoroughly prove point one.
Analyze point two in the second part of the body. The topic sentence focuses on the second thesis point and is followed by introductory information
for a supporting quotation, the quotation to support the topic sentence, and
thorough analysls of the quoted excerpt. This literary analysis pattern should
be used more than once within the paragraph to build solid content.
Discuss point three in the third part of the body. This paragraph should be
developed in the same way as preceding body paragraphs, but it should be
even stronger than those paragraphs since the last position is often considered a position of strength and importance.
Note: You may choose to divide the discussion of each thesis point into
multiple paragraphs if the discussion becomes long and involved. If you
use this approach for point one, try to be consistent and use it for all
following points as well. Be sure to use transitions and to incorporate
key words from the thesis into your topic sentences to indicate when
you move to a new part of your discussion.
Concluding Paragraph
Use a signal word somewhere in the conclusion to let the
reader know that you are coming to the end of your discussion.
Restate your thesis, summarize your main points, and emphasize the significance of the character's role in the work. Try to
change the "speed" or tempo of the last few sentences to give
your essay a sense of finality.
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CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Model Essay One
Four model essays are presented in this chapter to illustrate the point that each literary element can be
found in all types of literature: short stories, novels, poems, and dramas.
The following student-written essay analyzes a character in a short story. The essay is effective because
it is well organized and well developed through the use of the literary analysis pattern.
Miss Moore: ASpecial Role Model
Everyone needs someone special in life who is a good role model. In Toni Cade Bambara's
short story "The Lesson," 1 Miss Moore is that special person. The story focuses on several black
children who live in the New York slums. Sylvia is the narrator and the group leader. One summer day, Miss Moore, a resident of their neighborhood, takes the children to an exclusive toy
store on Fifth Avenue where she teaches them about life. She accomplishes this through her intelligence, her caring, and her sense ofjustice.
Miss Moore, an intelligent woman, knows how to handle the children's parents so that she can
spend some time with the kids. Sylvia remembers that when Miss Moore "came calling with
some sachet she'd sewed up or some gingerbread she'd made or some book, why then [the
parents would] all be too embarrassed to turn her down and [the kids would] get handed
over all spruced up" (88). Since Miss Moore wants to help the children, she always comes calling with gifts. Because she understands human motivation, she is able to get what she wants:
the opportunity to influence the children's lives in a positive way. When Miss Moore and the
children arrive at F. A. 0. Schwarz, they look at a microscope, and Sylvia says, "Miss Moore ask
what it cost. So. "!e all jam into the window ... and the price tag say $300. So then she ask
how long'd take for Big Butt and Junebug to save up their allowances" (90). Miss Moore is
cleverly leading the children to think for themselves. They can understand the price of toys
compared to the size of their allowance, and that makes the lesson about money very realistic. By using her intelligence, she helps the children understand some important points about
their economic position in society.
Despite the fact that the children's parents do not appreciate her efforts, Miss Moore really cares
about the kids. Sylvia, remembering how their parents talked about Miss Moore "like a dog,"
says, "She'd been to college and said it was only right that she should take responsibility for
the young ones' education, and she not even related by marriage or blood" (99-100). Miss
Moore is different from most of the adults in Sylvia's neighborhood, and she knows that children need guidance and education if they are to change their lives for the better. Opportunities are limited in the slums of New York, but education can be the kids' ticket out; therefore,
Miss Moore unselfishly gives up her time to show them the world outside their own. Sylvia
comments on how much Miss Moore cares when she says, Hit's purdee hot and [Miss Moore's]
knockin herself out about arithmetic" (88). She puts all of her energy into her lesson, hoping
that the children realize that there are big differences in the way people live because of their
economic status. Her education has made her aware that to survive in the world, one must
understand "real money" (88) and its power.
Because she wants the children to be treated morejustly, Miss Moore tries to show them the injustice that exists in society. Miss Moore tells them "about what things cost and what [their]
1
From Gorilla, My Love (New York: Random, 1972). Used by permission of Random House.
CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
59
parents make and how much goes for rent and how money ain't divided up rig~t inthis
country' (89). She is pointing out how unequal living standards can be in America. The children have only been exposed to their small world and do not realize how the economic system operates. However, Miss Moore knows that some hard-working people can barely afford
to pay their rent and feed their children, while the privileged class can buy their children a toy
with money that could feed an entire family. Sylvia finally realizes there is another way of life
outside her own and remembers, "Where we are is who we are, Miss Moore always polntin
out But it don't necessarily have to be that way, she always adds then waits for somebody to
say that poor people have to wake up and demand their share of the pie ..." (94-95). Miss
Moore recognizes that where a person lives determines what people think of him or her. And
due to this perception, Sylvia and her friends who live in the slums have fewer opportunities
In life, opportunities which could help them raise their standard of living. Miss Moore wants
more for the children, so she tells them they have the right to demand their share of the
wealth. By awakening their desire, she is offering them a better future.
Because ofher intelfigence, her caring personality, and her desire for justice, then, Miss Moore
exemplifies that special role model that children need while growing up. In fact, as a result of her
enlightened concern, the children are able to see beyond their isolated world, and Sylvia is
inspired to strive for equality when she says, "ain't nobody gonna beat me at nuthing" (96).
Her new determination is the result of Miss Moore's guidance. if there were more special peo~
pie like her, perhaps many more children would escape poverty and get "their share of the
pie" (95).
Deborah Wagner
Model Essay Two
This student essay compares the central characters in two of Flannery O'Connor's short stories. Notice the
point-by-point organization and the use of transitions.
They Would Have Been Good Women If •••
"'She would have been a good woman,' The Misfit says of grandmother Flannery
O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"1 'if it had been somebody there to shoot her every
minute of her life'" {p. 133). in a similar fashion, one may assert that Mrs. Turpin in O'Connor's
"Revelation*2 would have been a good woman if there had been somebody there to smash her
face every minute of her life. Both the grandmother and Mrs. Turpin are somewhat elderly
women who come face-to-face with violence. One her vacation, the grandmother encounters
a callous criminal, while Mrs. Turpin's conversation in the doctor's office ends when she. is fero1Flannery
O'Connor, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find; The Complete Stories (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
1946). All parenthetical page numbers refer to the text in this edition.
lQ'Connor, "Revelation," The Complete Stories. All parenthetical page numbers refer to the text in this edition.
60
CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
ciously attacked by a disapproving teenager. In both cares, these domineering and condescending
women come to reconcile their views ofsociety and religion.
;
The Grandmother's domineering ways are evident right from the start of the story. "A Gbod
Man Is Hard to Find" opens with grandmother's "seizing at every chance to change Bailey's
mind" (p. 117) about going to Florida: Now look here, Bailey, see here, read this," (p. 117) commands the grandmother. This is a mother speaking to her son; however, both are obviously
welt into adulthood, and the grandmother's dictating tone of voice shows that she never relinquished authoritative control over her son, Bailey. The grandmother's repetition of these
commands makes them seem commonplace. She shows no fear of opposition in giving her
commands to him as she rattles "the newspaper at his bald head." (p. 117) demonstrating absolute dominance. She wants things to run her way-not Bailey's.
Like the grandmother, Mrs. Turpin is immediately seen as a domineering force in "Revelation.#
When the Turpin's enter the doctor's office and look for a seat, Mrs. Turpin quickly lJnleashes
her authority as she commands, "'Claude, you sit in that chair there." {p. 488}, giving him a
push. Like the grandmother, Mrs. Turpin exhibits verbal dominance by her command and
physical intimidation by her push. And Claude reacts to this "as if he were accustomed to doing what she told him" (p. 488). However, where the grandmother prided herself as being a
lady, Mrs. Turpin seems to be more arrogant about her dominance. The command she gives
to her husband is said "in a voice that included anyone who wanted to listen" (p. 488). This
suggests that not only does Mrs. Turpin have powerful authority in her marriage, but that she
also feels it is important that everyone present sees just how powerful she is.
Both women's domineeringness causes them to be rather condescending. When Bailey and
his family are driving through Georgia, the grandmother exclaims, "'Oh look at the cute little
pickaninny!" (p. 119). The grandmother's use of the terms "pickaninnf and "nigger" (p. 119)
reveals how completely she has accepted racist values. She also says that "'little niggers in the
country don' have things like we do'" (p. 119) when June Star points out that he has no
britches. Of course, by "things" she means luxury items. Never would she think of "things" as
enough food to sustain health or enough clothes or shelter. She regards a scene of wretchedness as picturesque and she would like to "'paint that picture"' (p. 119) not as a damning social
indictment, but as a means of passive fun.
Whereas the grandm.other demonstrates condescendence when she is given the opportunity,
Mrs. Turpin continuously and relentlessly displays her egotistical patronizing. She lets everyone in
the doctor's office now that she has "a little of everything" (p. 494), and she frequently uses
the term "niggers" (p. 496). She also speaks of being tired of "'buttering up' niggers (p. 494) to
do servant work for her. This type of phrasing shows that not only has she readily internalized
racist values, but she has also become sickeningly complacent in her selfishness. And is this
isn't enough, "sometimes at night ... Mrs.Turpin would occupy herself with the question of
who she would have chosen to be if she could not have been herself" (p. 491). And she would
have to choose between being a "nigger" or "white-trash" {p. 491). This demonstrates Mrs.
Turpins remarkable obsession to wallow in self-satisfaction over being herself. She seems to
associate divinity with being of the noble class and pities in a mocking way the lower classes
who, to her, are spiritually deprived. Unfortunately, she cannot see her own spiritual deprivation in this extremely condescending attitude.
In fact, the grandmother and Mrs. Turpin are so self-righteous, they seem to think of themselves
as extremely virtuous and religious. However, this notion changes as they both encounter tragedy,
and the conclusion of O'Connor stories, both the grandmother and Mrs. Turpin experience new,
CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
powerful, mystical religious insights. The grandmother demonstrates confidence in her knowledge of Jesus when she inquires of the Misfit, "'Do you ever pray?'" (p. 129). The granpmother
here could have kept insisting that The Misfit was a "good man" in a further effort to· manipulate him to spare her, but by throwing this question at him, she suggests that maybe he is not
a ugood man" and implies that through her knowledge of Jesus, she could save him as evidenced by her statement, "'Pray, pray.... That's when you should have started to pray'" (p.
130). Later, when The Misfit seems to show a hint of emotion, "the grandmother's head
cleared for an instantn (p. 132). This shows that the grandmother has transcended the state of
sheer terror she was in and is now thinking on a new level. "'Why you're one of my babies:~
she cried. "'You're one of my own children!'" (p. 132). Whereas previously the grandmother
thought ofThe Misfit as a cold-blooded disgrace to society, she now sees him as one of her
own children, one of her babies. This shows that she is now thinking in purely Christian terms,
for in Christian terms, we are all brothers and sisters, children of God. This type ofreaction is a
far cry from what the grandmother shows us throughout the story, and only In fear does this
insight pour out of her.
Mrs. Turpin, on the other hand, shows her arrogance and pride in her religious knowledge
when she hears a familiar gospel song in the doctor's office and "supplied the fast line mentally. 'And
oona these days l know I'll we-eara crown"' (p. 490). Mrs. Turpin seems to feel supremely justified in being overwhelmed by the spirit of this song. She is very confident of her destiny with
God and appears to even be self-sanctifying. However, after being attacked and called an
"'old wart hog'" (p. 500) from hell, Mrs. Turpin is very worried and distressed by this statement,
and she ponders it for quite some time. Then, at the very end of the story, while standing at
the pig-parlor, ·a visionary light settled into her eyes· (p. 508). In the same way as the grandmother, Mrs. Turpin has reached a transcendental state of mil)(f and is now experienc!ng profound insights. And in her vision she sees •a vast horde of souls ... rumbling toward heaven.
There were whole companies of white-trash, clean for the first time in their lives, and bands of
black niggers in white robes, and battalions of freaks and lunatics shouting and clapping and
leaping like frogs• (P. 508). Mrs. Turpin's spiritual vision is now unobstructed by her hypocritical
values. She sees all the types of people that she had previously mocked and degraded, as
well as people like herself, as part of some greater Oneness. Like the grandmother, she also
comes to the Christian view that all humans are brothers and sisters, children of God. She realizes how meek and humble people should be before the Lord when she sees people llke
herself, and ·even their virtues were being burned away,• (p. 508).
Thus Flannery O'Connor's characters of the grandmother and Mrs. Turpin convey apiercing theme about how pathetically ignorant one can become in a life of self-satisfaction. They
are good examples ofpeople who become overbearing and condescending almost to the point of
being evil. And it is a shame because we all are capable of being filled with the power, glory, and
awe of God. This fact, however, has a great tendency to be forgotten unless there is a gun to one's
head or a smack in the face to act as a reminder.A O'Connor's characters point to the need for a
religious revolution against a secular world to attain true Christian values.
Frank Jones
61
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CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Model Essay Three
This student-written essay analyzes the main character in a poem. The writer bases his interpretation on
quoted lines from the poem which he explains and comments on in his analysis.
AMaster of Life
Old age turns some people into couch potatoes who stop living and start merely existing. That will never happen to Ulysses, the great Greek hero who is characterized as a master
of life in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem entitled ·utysses." 1 As he prepares to leave on his last adventure and addresses his son and his mariners, he reveals his adventurous spirit, his desire to pursue
knowledge, and his determination to five life as fully as possible until he dies.
Ulysses' plan to leave Ithaca and give over the kingdom to his son Telemachus is prompted by
his spirit ofadventure. He feels unproductive as the ·idle king" (line 1) of a people who #hoard,
and sleep, and feed" (5). These activities do not fit in with Ulysses' adventurous lifestyle. He
does not want to spend his time gathering material wealth or focusing on his bodily needs.
Ulysses is a man who cannot rest from travel; [he] will drink/ Life to the lees" (6-7). He does
not want to stop going out to meet life; in fact, he wants to consume life, to drink in-with
eagerness and pleasure-all the world has to offer. With a sense of pride, he describes his
past adventures:
0
Much have I seen and known,-cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honored of them all,Aod·drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy. (13-17)
Ulysses' adventures have taken him from the cities to the battlefields and have given him insight into lifestyles and political systems, but most of all, they have taught him about himself.
Interacting with others and reacting to new experiences have helped him to clarify his values
and his beliefs; therefore, he wants to continue his adventures so that he can enjoy all that life
has to offer.
It is his desire for knowledge that drives Ulysses' restless spirit. In his eyes, "experience is an
arch wherethro' / Gleams that untravelled world whose margin fades / For ever and for ever
when [he] move[s]" (18-20}. As he experiences new aspects of life, he realizes how much more
there is still to be enjoyed and experienced. The more he knows, the more he realizes how
much he still has to learn as new horizons present themselves. For Ulysses, it is "dull ... to
pause, to make an end, /To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!" (22-23) He must continue
his pursuit of knowledge to escape boredom; he does not want to rust out but to continue to
use and polish his intellect until he dies. His desire for knowledge makes "every hour• (26) exciting for it is a "bringer of new things" (28). With a positive attitude, he anticipates each hour
of each day and the experiences it holds. His goal is "To follow knowledge like a sinking star,/
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought" (31-32). To expand his mind, Ulysses wants to
1
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses· The Norton Anthology of English Uterature, ed. M.H. Abrams. 5th ed. (New
York: Norton, 1987) 1950-1952.
CHAPTER FOUR: CHARACTER ANALYSIS
develop insight and understanding to depths never thought possible by the human mind.
His thirst for knowledge has become a burning passion that drives him forward intp life and
new experiences.
Even while acknowledging approaching death, Ulysses is determined not to stop living. He
believes that "Old age hath yet his honor and his toil" (50). While he may not be able to do
everything he did as a younger man, there are still deeds that he can accomplish before
"Death closes all" (51). Ulysses is a realist about death and its finality, but he is not yet ready to
die. He wants to perform "some work of noble note" (52) and "To sail beyond the sunset, and
the baths / Of all the western stars, until [he] die[sJ" (60-61). With noble goals like these, he
surely will lead a fulfilling life as he pursues his dreams "to seek a newer world" (57). This Is not
a man who waits for death; this is a man who sails into life with tremendous joy and anticipation. While he admits that he has been "made weak by time and fate; he Is still "strong in will
/To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" (69-70). His determination to keep
searching
for adventure, for knowledge, for fulfillment is the mark of a man who has truly understood
and enjoyed life and conquered death. What matters to Ulysses is not the destination but the
trip itself. He enjoys all of life, and he is never going to give up his struggle to have it all.
Thus Ulysses' indomitable spirit is truly inspiring. His desire for adventure, knowledge, and
total fulfillment reveals that he wants to be fully alive-not just "a name• (11). Through him, we
can learn how to live life to the fullest now and in our old age. He scorns those who merely
exist by saying, "As tho' to breathe were life" (24). In his view, life is an exciting adventure that
ends only when "Death closes all" (51).
y
on
John Thompson
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