How to write a character sketch

There are two effective ways of arranging your character sketch. One of them is naming the qualities of a character first and then supporting your opinion with the evidence from the text. The other one is analyzing a character’s behaviour in certain circumstances and deducing his/her traits of character. While making a character sketch you should try to find answers to the following questions:

· Who are the main characters? Are they like real people?

· Do they remind you of certain types of people? Which are the most interesting? Why?

· Does the character seem to develop and change as the story progresses, or does he/she remain about the same from beginning to end?

· What are the strengths and weaknesses of the character under study? What incidents from the text can you cite to support your conclusions?

· To what extent does the personality of the character determine his/her success or failure?

· What character did you like most and which did you dislike?

· With which ones did it make a difference to you whether they were happy or not? Why?

· Which ones helped you to understand people a little better than before?

· How well does the author seem to know people and what “makes them tick”?

A helping hand

the central/main/major character

the protagonist/the antagonist

the hero/heroine

the villain

a foil — to serve/act as a foil to…

the author’s mouthpiece

a simple/flat character

a complex/well-rounded character

moral/mental/physical/spiritual characteristics

direct/indirect characterization

to reinforce characterization

to contribute to characterization/individualization

to depict/portray/describe/reveal/disclose/a character

to evaluate/assess/rate/judge a character’s actions/words/decisions/set of values

to share a character’s emotions

to arouse warmth/affection/compassion/admiration/resentment/antipathy, etc.