Copyright Competition -K2
The word "hero" ("heros" - Greek) means a demigod or deified person.
Among the ancient Greeks, heroes were either half-breeds (one of the parents is a god, the other is a human), or outstanding men who became famous for their deeds, for example, military exploits or travel. But, in any case, the title of hero gave a person a lot of advantages. They worshiped him and composed poems and other songs in his honor. Gradually, the concept of “hero” migrated to literature, where it has stuck to this day.
Now, in our understanding, a hero can be either a “noble man” or a “worthless man” if he acts within the framework of a work of art.
The term “hero” is adjacent to the term “character”, and often these terms are perceived as synonyms.
Person in Ancient Rome they called the mask that the actor put on before the performance - tragic or comic.
A hero and a character are not the same thing.
A LITERARY HERO is an exponent of plot action that reveals the content of the work.
CHARACTER is any character in the work.
The word “character” is characteristic in that it does not carry any additional meanings.
Take, for example, the term “actor.” It is immediately clear that it must act = perform actions, and then a whole bunch of heroes do not fit this definition. Starting from Papa Pippi Longstocking, the mythical sea captain, and ending with the people in “Boris Godunov”, who, as always, are “silent”.
The emotional and evaluative connotation of the term “hero” implies exclusively positive qualities = heroism\heroism. And then it will not fall under this definition yet more people. Well, how about, say, calling Chichikov or Gobsek a hero?
And now literary scholars are fighting with philologists - who should be called a “hero” and who a “character”?
Time will tell who will win. For now we will count in a simple way.
A hero is an important character for expressing the idea of a work. And the characters are everyone else.
A little later we'll talk about the character system in work of art, there will be talk about the main (heroes) and secondary (characters).
Now let's note a couple more definitions.
LYRICAL HERO
The concept of a lyrical hero was first formulated by Yu.N. Tynyanov in 1921 in relation to the work of A.A. Blok.
A lyrical hero is an image of a hero in a lyrical work, whose experiences, feelings, thoughts reflect the author’s worldview.
The lyrical hero is not an autobiographical image of the author.
You can't say " lyrical character" - only a "lyrical hero".
THE IMAGE OF A HERO is an artistic generalization of human properties, character traits in the individual appearance of the hero.
LITERARY TYPE is a generalized image of human individuality, most characteristic of a certain social environment at a certain time. It connects two sides - the individual (single) and the general.
Typical does not mean average. The type concentrates in itself everything that is most striking, characteristic of an entire group of people - social, national, age, etc. For example, the type of Turgenev girl or a lady of Balzac's age.
CHARACTER AND CHARACTER
IN modern literary criticism character is the unique individuality of a character, his inner appearance, that is, what distinguishes him from other people.
Character consists of diverse traits and qualities that are not combined by chance. Every character has a main, dominant trait.
Character can be simple or complex.
A simple character is distinguished by integrity and staticity. The hero is either positive or negative.
Simple characters are traditionally combined into pairs, most often based on the opposition “bad” - “good”. The contrast accentuates the merits of positive heroes and diminishes the merits of negative heroes. Example - Shvabrin and Grinev in “The Captain’s Daughter”
A complex character is the hero’s constant search for himself, the hero’s spiritual evolution, etc.
A complex character is very difficult to label as “positive” or “negative.” It contains inconsistency and paradox. Like Captain Zheglov, who almost sent poor Gruzdev to prison, but easily gave food cards to Sharapov’s neighbor.
STRUCTURE OF A LITERARY CHARACTER
A literary hero is a complex and multifaceted person. It has two appearances - external and internal.
To create the appearance of the hero they work:
PORTRAIT. This face, figure, distinctive features physique (for example, Quasimodo’s hump or Karenin’s ears).
CLOTHING, which can also reflect certain character traits of the hero.
SPEECH, the features of which characterize the hero no less than his appearance.
AGE, which determines the potential possibility of certain actions.
PROFESSION, which shows the degree of socialization of the hero, determines his position in society.
LIFE HISTORY. Information about the origin of the hero, his parents/relatives, the country and place where he lives, gives the hero sensually tangible realism and historical specificity.
The internal appearance of the hero consists of:
WORLDVIEW AND ETHICAL BELIEF, which endow the hero with value guidelines, give meaning to his existence.
THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES that outline the diverse life of the hero’s soul.
FAITH (or lack thereof), which determines the presence of the hero in the spiritual field, his attitude towards God and the Church.
STATEMENTS AND ACTIONS, which indicate the results of the interaction of the soul and spirit of the hero.
The hero can not only reason and love, but also be aware of emotions, analyze his own activities, that is, reflect. Artistic reflection allows the author to identify the hero’s personal self-esteem and characterize his attitude towards himself.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
So, a character is a fictional animate person with a certain character and unique external characteristics. The author must come up with this data and convincingly convey it to the reader.
If the author does not do this, the reader perceives the character as cardboard and is not included in his experiences.
Character development is a rather labor-intensive process and requires skill.
Most effective way- this is to write down on a separate sheet of paper all the personality traits of your character that you want to present to the reader. Straight to point.
The first point is the hero’s appearance (fat, thin, blond, brunette, etc.). The second point is age. The third is education and profession.
Be sure to answer (first of all, to yourself) the following questions:
- how does the character relate to other people? (sociable\closed, sensitive\callous, respectful\rude)
- how does the character feel about his work? (hardworking/lazy, creative/routine, responsible/irresponsible, proactive/passive)
- How does the character feel about himself? (has self-esteem, self-critical, proud, modest, arrogant, vain, arrogant, touchy, shy, selfish)
- how does the character feel about his things? (neat/sloppy, careful with things/careless)
The selection of questions is not random. The answers to them will give a FULL picture of the character's personality.
It is better to write down the answers and keep them before your eyes throughout the entire work on the work.
What will this give? Even if in the work you do not mention ALL QUALITIES of a personality (for minor and episodic characters it is not rational to do this), then all the same, the author’s FULL understanding of his characters will be transmitted to the reader and will make their images three-dimensional.
ARTISTIC DETAIL plays a huge role in creating/revealing character images.
An artistic detail is a detail that the author has endowed with significant semantic and emotional load.
A bright detail replaces entire descriptive fragments, cuts off unnecessary details that obscure the essence of the matter.
An expressive, successfully found detail is evidence of the author’s skill.
I would especially like to note such a moment as CHOOSING A CHARACTER NAME.
According to Pavel Florensky, “names are the essence of categories of personal cognition.” Names are not just named, but actually declare the spiritual and physical essence of a person. They form special models of personal existence, which become common to each bearer of a certain name. Names are predetermined spiritual qualities, actions and even the fate of a person.
The existence of a character in a work of fiction begins with the choice of his name. It is very important what you name your hero.
Compare the options for the name Anna - Anna, Anka, Anka, Nyura, Nyurka, Nyusha, Nyushka, Nyusya, Nyuska.
Each of the options crystallizes certain personality qualities and provides the key to character.
Once you have decided on a character name, don’t change it (unnecessarily) as you go along, as this can confuse the reader’s perception.
If in life you tend to call your friends and acquaintances diminutively and disparagingly (Svetka, Mashulya, Lenusik, Dimon), control your passion in writing. In a work of art, the use of such names must be justified. Numerous Vovkas and Tankas look terrible.
CHARACTER SYSTEM
A literary hero is a clearly individual person and at the same time clearly collective, that is, he is generated by the social environment and interpersonal relationships.
It is unlikely that there will be only one hero in your work (although this has happened). In most cases, the character is at the intersection of three rays.
The first is friends, associates (friendly relationships).
The second is enemies, ill-wishers (hostile relations).
Third - others strangers(neutral relationship)
These three rays (and the people in them) create a strict hierarchical structure or CHARACTER SYSTEM.
Characters are divided by the degree of author's attention (or the frequency of depiction in the work), the purposes and functions that they perform.
Traditionally, there are main, secondary and episodic characters.
The MAIN CHARACTER(s) are always at the center of the work.
The main character actively masters and transforms artistic reality. His character (see above) predetermines events.
Axiom – main character must be bright, that is, its structure must be spelled out thoroughly, no spaces are allowed.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS are located, although next to the main character, but somewhat behind, in the background, so to speak, of the artistic depiction.
The characters and portraits of minor characters are rarely detailed, more often they appear dotted. These heroes help the main characters to open up and ensure the development of the action.
Axiom – minor character cannot be brighter than the main thing.
Otherwise, he will pull the blanket over himself. An example from a related area. Film "Seventeen Moments of Spring". Remember the girl who pestered Stirlitz in one of the last episodes? (“They say about us mathematicians that we are terrible crackers.... But in love I am Einstein...”).
In the first edition of the film, the episode with her was much longer. Actress Inna Ulyanova was so good that she stole all the attention and distorted the scene. Let me remind you that there Stirlitz was supposed to receive important encryption from the center. However, no one remembered about the encryption; everyone reveled in the bright clownery of an EPISODIC (completely passable) character. Ulyanov, of course, is sorry, but director Lioznova made the absolutely right decision and cut out this scene. An example to think about, though!
EPISODIC HEROES are on the periphery of the world of the work. They may have no character at all, acting as passive executors of the author's will. Their functions are purely official.
POSITIVE and NEGATIVE HEROES usually divide the system of characters in a work into two warring factions (“red” - “white”, “ours” - “fascists”).
The theory of dividing characters according to ARCHETYPES is interesting.
An archetype is a primary idea expressed in symbols and images and underlying everything.
That is, each character in the work should serve as a symbol of something.
According to the classics, there are seven archetypes in literature.
So, the main character could be:
- The protagonist – the one who “accelerates the action”, the real Hero.
- An antagonist - completely opposite to the Hero. I mean, a Villain.
- Guardian, Sage, Mentor and Helper - those who assist the Protagonist
Minor characters are:
- A bosom friend – symbolizes support and faith in the Main Character.
- Skeptic - questions everything that happens
- Reasonable - makes decisions based solely on logic.
- Emotional – reacts only with emotions.
For example, Rowling’s Harry Potter novels.
The main character is undoubtedly Harry Potter himself. He is opposed by the Villain - Voldemort. Professor Dumbledore=The Sage appears periodically.
And Harry's friends are the reasonable Hermione and the emotional Ron.
In conclusion, I would like to talk about the number of characters.
When there are many of them, this is bad, since they will begin to duplicate each other (there are only seven archetypes!). Competition among the characters will cause discoordination in the minds of the readers.
The most reasonable thing is to stupidly check your heroes by archetypes.
For example, in your novel there are three old women. The first is cheerful, the second is smart, and the third is just a lonely grandmother from the first floor. Ask yourself – what do they represent? And you will understand that a lonely old woman is superfluous. Her phrases (if there are any) can easily be conveyed to the second or first (old ladies). This way you will get rid of unnecessary verbal noise and concentrate on the idea.
After all, “The idea is the tyrant of the work” (c) Egri.
© Copyright: Copyright Competition -K2, 2013
Certificate of publication No. 213010300586
reviews
Character
A character is a type of artistic image, a subject of action. This term in a certain context can be replaced by the concepts of “character” or “literary hero”, but in a strict theoretical sense these are different terms. This interchangeability is explained by the fact that translated from Latin (persona– mask) the word “character” means an actor playing a role wearing a mask that expresses a certain type of character, therefore literally a character. Therefore, the term “character” should be attributed to the formal components of the text. It is acceptable to use this term when analyzing the system of images-characters and compositional features. Literary character- a bearer of a constructive role in a work, autonomous and personified in the imagination (this can be a person, but also an animal, plant, landscape, utensil, fantastic creature, concept), involved in the action (hero) or only occasionally indicated (for example, a person, important for characterizing the environment). Taking into account the role of literary characters in the integrity of the work, we can divide them into main (foreground), secondary (secondary) and episodic, and from the point of view of their participation in the development of events - into incoming (active) and passive.
The concept of “character” is applicable to epic and dramatic works, and to a lesser extent to lyrical works, although lyric theorists as a type of literature allow the use of this term. For example, G. Pospelov calls one of the types of lyrics character-based: “Characters... are individuals depicted in epic and dramatic works. They always embody certain characteristics of social existence and therefore have certain individual traits, receive proper names and create, through their actions, taking place in certain conditions of place and time, the plots of such works." lyrical works the hero does not shape the plot; unlike epic and dramatic stories, the personality does not act directly in the work, but he is presented as an artistic image.
L. Ya. Ginzburg noted that the concepts of “lyrical subject” and “lyrical hero” should not be confused as special forms of embodiment of the poet’s personality.
Hero
The term "literary hero" means complete image a person – in the totality of his appearance, way of thinking, behavior and mental world; The term “character,” which is similar in meaning, if taken in a narrow rather than broad sense, denotes the internal psychological profile of a person, his natural properties, nature.
The heroes of works can be not only people, but also animals, fantastic images and even objects. All of them are anyway artistic images, reflecting reality in the refracted consciousness of the author.
The hero is one of central characters V literary work, active in incidents that are fundamental to the development of the action, focusing the reader’s attention on itself.
The main character is a literary character who is most involved in the action, his fate is the focus of attention of the author and the reader.
A literary hero is an image of a person in literature. The concepts “character” and “character” are often used in conjunction with a literary hero. Sometimes they are distinguished: literary heroes are the characters (characters) drawn in a more multifaceted way and more significant for the idea of the work. Sometimes the concept of “literary hero” refers only to characters close to the author’s ideal of a person (the so-called goodie) or embodying the heroic principle (for example, heroes of epics, epics, and tragedies). It should be noted, however, that in literary criticism These concepts, along with the concepts of "character", "type" and "image", are interchangeable.
From the point of view of the figurative structure, a literary hero combines character as the internal content of the character, and his behavior and actions as something external. Character allows us to consider the actions of the person portrayed as natural, going back to some vital reason; it is the content and law (motivation) of behavior.
A character in the usual sense is the same as a literary hero. In literary criticism, the term “character” is used in a narrower, but not always the same sense. Most often, a character is understood as an active person. But here, too, two interpretations differ: a person represented and characterized in action, and not in descriptions: then the concept of “character” most closely corresponds to the heroes of drama, images-roles. Any actor, subject of action in general. In this interpretation, the character is opposed only to the “pure” subject of experience appearing in the lyrics, which is why the term “character” is not applicable to the so-called lyrical hero: one cannot say “lyrical character.”
A character is sometimes understood only as a minor person. In this understanding, the term “character” correlates with the narrowed meaning of the term “hero” - the central person or one of the main persons of the work. On this basis, the expression " cameo character" (and not "episodic hero").
character
character, wine pl. chew and live, m. (French personnage).
A character in a dramatic or literary work (lit.). Character in the play.
trans. Person, personality (ironic). Comic character.
Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I.Ozhegov, N.Yu.Shvedova.
character
A, m. A character in a literary work, in a performance, as well as a person as an object genre painting. Comic p. Ostrovsky's characters. Characters of the paintings. Surikov.
New explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.
Character
(French personnage, from Latin persona ≈ personality, face), the protagonist of a play (performance), script (film), novel and other works of art.
Wikipedia
Character
Character(, from - personality, person) - a character in a play, movie, book, game, etc. Characters can be completely fictitious or taken from real life. Characters can be human, animal, supernatural, mythical, divine beings, or personified abstract entities. The process of presenting information about characters in fiction called a characteristic.
In the usual meaning, the same as a literary hero. Most often under character the actor is understood. But here, too, two interpretations differ:
- A person represented and characterized in action rather than in description; then the concept character Most of all correspond to the heroes of dramaturgy, the images-roles.
- Any actor, subject of action in general. In this interpretation, the character is opposed only to the “pure” subject of experience appearing in the lyrics, which is why the term character not applicable to the so-called “lyrical hero”: you cannot say “lyrical character”.
Under character sometimes only a minor person is understood. In this understanding the term character corresponds to the narrowed meaning of the term hero- the central person or one of the central persons of the work. On this basis, the expression “episodic character” arose.
Character (film)
"Character" is a 2006 American tragicomedy film produced by Columbia Pictures, directed by Marc Forster. Starring Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah and Tony Hale.
The pre-premiere screening of the film took place on September 9, 2006 at the International Film Festival in the Canadian city of Toronto. The film was released in wide release in the United States on November 10. And in Russia the premiere took place almost six months later - on May 24, 2007. Will Ferrell for his role as Harold Crick in 2007 was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category "Best male role ».
Examples of the use of the word character in literature.
Viktor Abramov - still wearing glasses, not contact lenses, with the face of a typical smart guy, an excellent student, a hooligan, a classic character math school folklore.
Irrationality, human nostalgia and the absurdity generated by their meeting - these are three character a drama that must be followed from beginning to end with all the logic of which existence is capable.
For Grigoriev, the man and the artist, duality and duplicity were intertwined and multiplied: undoubtedly, his duality was real life, dual characters his stories, and because of their autobiographical basis, the author’s connections with his double heroes were dialectically dual.
Tao, Kundalini - concepts of eastern mysticism Agramant - character poems by L.
Thorough study of Georgian literature, monuments material culture, the architecture of ancient monasteries and castles, frescoes, ornaments and miniatures helped the writer to develop a clear idea of the spirit of the time, the material appearance of the era, and its people - characters of her future work: Having mastered all this material, in 1922, when the Antonovsky family moved permanently to Moscow, the writer began work on the novel.
When characters Aristophanes fight for peace, then they stand for have a fun life, because many holidays were canceled during wartime.
Thus, Zeus of the Arthurian cycle received the name Myrddin, and this character entered the Norman-French novels about Arthur under the more familiar name - Merlin.
Another character, found in the stories of the Arthurian cycle and occupying a very important place in the Celtic myths, is March ap Meirchion, whose pigs Arthur himself once tried to steal, just as Gwydion even earlier wanted to steal the pigs of Pryderi.
Nebuchadnezzar, Tiglath-pileser, Esarhaddon, Shenshok and others are now not only and not so much biblical characters, how many are real historical figures, and what the Bible reports about them is included in the total historical sources concerning these individuals.
With all the traditional obligatory theological orientation of auto as a specific genre, Calderon’s allegories are much deeper and more philosophical than his predecessors, and the most characters, displayed in them, are much more humane.
About fabulous characters, Bazhov always speaks jokingly about fairy-tale events, with a sly grin.
She laughed at recent moods, reproached herself for lack of will and extravagance, and set her loved ones as an example. literary heroes and historical characters.
The only fictitious character- Pavel Berkov, although it is known that Bulgakov had several similar acquaintances who visited his house, whose names could be named.
In the legends of the northern tribes, living in the twilight of the dens, Where there are five names per village, and then more and more monosyllables, Where they don’t take off their skis and fur coats, they are proud of the heavy smell, They sing without opening their lips, and smear themselves with walrus fat, Where the day is short, like, where the crust is crunchy and the air is cruel, - There is an indispensable character, usually a teenage girl.
Finally everything characters from the fairy tale about Bitty Belina lay in nourishing baths.