"The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates

 

protagonist:

The main character of the story. The action of the plot centers about this person. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird a strong case for Atticus Finch as the protagonist can be made, but the story’s focus is really Jem and what he learns about life, courage and human virtue. The story begins by explaining that this is the story of how Jem broke his arm. It is he who sets the action in motion and about whom the action centers. Scout is our narrator and observer who serves togive us the story from the children’s perspective.

 

antagonist:

The force or character that opposes the protagonist. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Bob Ewell serves as antagonist to the Finch family, but actually the greater antagonist is the bigotry and prejudice.

 

 

dynamic character:

This is a character that fundamentally changes his or her personality or view of life by the end of the story. By the end of the story, Jem Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has fundamentally changed his view of the town and the town’s people. He has changed from seeing fairy tale monsters to seeing the real monsters in his town of Maycomb. He has gained a greater understanding of human courage and virtue.

 

static character:

Though he is one of the greatest characters taught in high school literature, Atticus Finch of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a static character. He is essentially the same strong, courageous person at the beginning of the novel as he is at the end. It is the children’s view of him that changes, not Atticus.

 

flat character:

This character has only one or two sides of a personality. This character can be summed up in one or two sentences. This character, or caricature, lacks surprises or complexity. This is a term used by E. M. Forster in his Aspects of the Novel (1927).

 

round character:

A life-like, three dimensional character. This character is believable enough to have actually lived. This is a term used by E. M. Forster in his Aspects of the Novel (1927).

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