One of the most significant ways to determine a central idea, or theme, of a work is to closely examine the characters of the work, since the characters are often the focus of the action in a text. When Harry Potter decides to sacrifice himself in order to save others from Lord Voldemort at the very end of the series, this reveals the idea that the evil of the world will only be conquered by remembering the importance of community, family, and friendship.

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As you probably know, the two main characters in a piece of literature are the protagonist (main character) and the antagonist (who opposes the main character). It is important to remember that the protagonist is not necessarily good and the antagonist is not necessarily bad. Some of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories, for instance, feature protagonists who are murderers and antagonists who are potential victims or the police.

The way an author brings a character to life is called characterization, and there are two basic techniques:

Direct characterization is when a writer explicitly comments on or describes a character. For instance, when the narrator directly states that a character is tall, short, mean, or friendly.

Indirect characterization is when the author develops the character through things the character does or says, or what others say about the character, rather than through direct statements. The reader is expected to infer certain aspects of the character through this type of characterization. If the narrator states, “The young woman got up and offered her seat on the bus to the old woman,” the reader might conclude that the young woman is kind and polite, without the author’s saying it.

The essential components that authors tend to include for characterization are