Step by Step Guide to Construct a Character Analysis

Ever had to write a character analysis? You know, that paper you have to do for your English class where you analyze the protagonist's motives and the way they interact with others.

Well, if not, then this blog post is for you! This step-wise guide will help you get through it without too much hassle.

A character analysis is different from simply reviewing the book or analyzing a drama at large. This kind of literary analysis focuses on one particular topic and discusses its strengths, weaknesses, and how it affects other characters in the storyline.

Character analysis essays are about different characters in work. They can be difficult to write, but they are worth it because the work will have good credibility. Let’s explore more about character analysis essays.

What is a Character Analysis?

By the definition of character analysis:

It is the identification and explanation of how a certain person changes or traits overtime in their development

This type of essay is about how one person changes throughout different stages in their life. They may change when they are younger until now, or when they are older, with age being added to the years. It can be an heirloom passed down through generations, sometimes even centuries ago.

Character analysis defines the specific personality traits. Let’s have a look at what we know about character traits.

• Character Traits

Authors will reveal character traits through the story. An author may not say that a character is good or bad, but they might show it in the story by showing how other people react to them.

For example, if someone has green eyes, you might find an excerpt in the story about other people who are surprised by their color since it is uncommon.

Moreover, character analysis is figuring out a character's personality. It is not always direct, but the hints are there in stories. Readers have to find and identify them. Different clues can be found throughout the story, and you have to pay attention to them.

That also includes reading between the lines and finding those clues that are not stated or mentioned directly.

Purpose of Character Analysis

Character analysis is important because it helps the reader get to know the character more. It is a good practice for students who want to be writers. They will learn how to ask questions that are relevant and important, and they will learn about the subtle traits of characters.

In the end, the student will be able to ask good questions and know what to look for.

Elements of Character Analysis

You can never write a perfect character analysis if you miss any of its essential elements. Analyzing a character is a fun activity. You get to know the character better. Writing the essay is different.

You have to understand that character's personality to write a good essay about it. Here are those essentials which must be kept in mind before writing a character analysis:

• Inspiration

What is the character doing in the story? Why does he do it? What are his reasons for doing that? Where does he get his ideas from, or are they just his own choices?

Is the character being ethical, impulsive, or selfish when they act?

• Action

What is the character doing? How does it affect other people? Is the action good or bad? You get to know a lot from the action of a character.

• Choice of Words

You can learn more about the character by their choice of words. For example, if they use specific phrases, you will know more about them. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to these words to learn more about people in real life.

• Character description

It tells you about the character and their personality. How is the character? How does it behave etc.?

The character will talk about themselves and how they describe themselves.

• Names

The author wants you to think about what names might look like. Like "Problem Pete" or "Little Alice". Do you find yourself making assumptions based on the names? Yes, we all do.

Types of Characters

There are a lot of different characters in a story, novel, or drama. The characters might be good, bad, insignificant, and some might represent a societal stereotype. All of these characters come together to form the story's plot.

There are many different kinds of characters that you find in literature. Therefore, before writing a character analysis, it is important to know about character study first.

• Protagonist - It is the main person in the chronicle. They have to do something that moves the story forward. If a character does nothing, then they are not interesting.
• Antagonist - This is the person that people love to hate. They exist so that there will be a conflict for the protagonist. This is where you can explore their motivation.
• Major Character - There are many parts to the story. One of the main characters will be very important in the story. They may be your friend or your enemy. You need to figure out what they do and how they interact with other characters.
• Minor Character - Minor characters have small roles. They can disappear and then reappear in the story. Sometimes they are stereotypes or static characters.
• Dynamic Character - A dynamic character will change and grow. A protagonist, or the main character, and an antagonist often display this quality.
• Static Character - It will stay the same throughout the story. This doesn't mean they are not worth talking about. On the contrary, they could be interesting to talk about because you can find out why they don't change.
• Stereotypes - Everybody knows what a typical jock, housewife, and geek are, so no further explanation is needed. Authors sometimes use these types of characters to fill up space

Now that we have explained all the important things associated with character analysis. It’s time to turn the paper black.

Character Analysis Outline

Crafting an outline of a character analysis essay is not that difficult. It includes an introduction, body, and concluding paragraph.

We are going to discuss each step in detail as the correct outline leads you to win the content.

• Introduction

A good introduction for an essay needs to give the entire essay a shape, and it needs to make your readers want to read. When writing one, describe the character briefly and tell about his important traits.

• Body

This is the place where most of the story will happen. The key points and information in the introduction are divided into several sections. This section usually has three paragraphs, but you can add more if you have more ideas to add here.

This section should explain the physical attributes, what conflicts they face, and how they overcome them.

You can also talk about their main takeaway or moral value too. You may also want to include other details and use quotes to emphasize your point while you're talking about these things.

• Conclusion

This is the last part. Sum up all of your ideas and say what your main idea is. Make it long-lasting and strong. Do not include any new information that you didn't mention at the beginning or anything that starts a new discussion.

How to Write a Character Analysis?

When you do the character study, it will show that they are in one of three categories. So, first, write an essay about what kind of role the character played in the story. Then, by following the outline discussed above, keeping in mind the below steps, start writing your character analysis.

Following are the steps to craft the best character analysis essay:

• Talk about the Personality of Character

It is important to know the personality of a character. The reader should look at how he speaks and the words he uses. They can also look at what other people say about him, what he does, and how he behaves.

As the story continues, it leaves hints for the reader to learn more about who they are and how they act.

• Elaborate the Role of a Character

When you write the analysis of a character, you will need to define what a role is? What category he belongs in. Besides displaying his unique traits, the character's personality will show which category he belongs in. The character can belong to any category.

• Incapsulate the Development of Character

The character went through a lot of changes. The character changes over the course of the story. This is important when you are analyzing how the character developed.

Character Analysis Example

This character analysis will help you understand the type of academic essay this person is most likely writing.

Famous Personalities For Character Analysis

Analyzing how characters change throughout the story is important to understanding the story. Here are some amazing personalities suggestion for you:

• Lord of the Flies
• Romeo and Juliet
• Great Expectations
• Othello
• The Great Gatsby
• Pride and Prejudice
• Lady Macbeth
• Jay Gatsby
• Elizabeth Swann
• The crucible
• Ophelia

Writing a character analysis is an in-depth process that requires you to look at the important details of your characters and analyze them. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, we can help!

Our team will take care of all the heavy lifting for you! All you have left is to put together some creative thoughts about what makes each one of your main characters tick.

Give us a call today if you want the top experts to do your essay - we are happy to get started right away!