what does it mean when a character is round or flat

Watson’s only function in the narrative is to serve as a sounding board for Holmes’s theories and narrate the story’s events to the reader. Watson’s most prominent trait is his loyalty to his friend Sherlock. Watson was little more than a foil to the titular character. However, in the original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyal, Dr. In recent film and tv adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, writers have spent more time fleshing out the famed detective’s loyal compatriot. We’ll discuss the difference between these characters further down in the article. However, not all static characters are flat.

You may also have heard the terms ‘flat character’ and ‘static character’ used interchangeably.

For contrast, a complex character is motivated by many different drives, and these motivations may even contradict! Their desire for money drives every choice this character makes.

These names come from the tendency of flat characters to have a limited viewpoint on life or events in the story.įor example, you may have a villain who is motivated by greed. Their role in the narrative is to support the main character.įlat characters are often called one-dimensional characters, or sometimes two-dimensional characters.Undergo little or no change throughout the narrative.Possess only one or two personality traits.Flat characters are usually motivated by a single, specific desire and undergo little or no change throughout the narrative. Let’s get started! Flat Character Definition:Ī flat character is a character that has only one or two personality traits.

Finally, we’ll discuss how to fix a one-dimensional character that you need to be more complex and dynamic. We’ll also look at classic examples of flat characters, and compare flat characters to other character types. Not true! You need a few flat characters wandering around your narrative, and we’ll talk about why these characters are important.īut first, we’ll answer the question- what is a flat character. What exactly is a flat character? Many beginning writers might assume that all flat characters are inadequate characters that they need to scrub them from their story.

What does it mean when a character is round or flat