FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA
In Aspects of the Novel, Edward Morgan Forster introduces the critical concepts of flat and round to describe the nature of different types of fictional characters. According to Forster’s theoretical categorization, flat characters are constructed and exist in their fictional realm around a single f...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Turkish |
| Published: |
Selçuk University
2017-06-01
|
| Series: | Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://sefad.selcuk.edu.tr/sefad/article/view/735/634 |
| _version_ | 1797915080396898304 |
|---|---|
| author | Barış METE |
| author_facet | Barış METE |
| author_sort | Barış METE |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Aspects of the Novel, Edward Morgan Forster introduces the critical concepts of flat and round to describe the nature of different types of fictional characters. According to Forster’s theoretical categorization, flat characters are constructed and exist in their fictional realm around a single feature or quality. As this is the key criterion, Forster argues that flat characters can easily be recognized and remembered by the reader. Flat characters remain mostly the same through circumstances. In other words, flat characters never surprise the reader. Contrary to the nature of flat characters, round characters operate in an opposite direction to their counterparts. Round characters never remain the same throughout events, and it is not easy to recognize them since they do not exist under the dominance of a single trait. In addition to these, round characters are those who surprise the reader. Although Forster’s categorisation of fictional characters has functioned well in most of the cases, some characters are not easily analysed under this formula. Franz Kafka’s Gregor Samsa, for example, seems neither a round nor a flat character. Throughout his story, he remains the same. At the same time, he surprises the reader, which is not expected from him since he is mostly the same character in the text. Samsa’s turning into an insect further complicates the definition of his roundness or flatness. Another example is Iris Murdoch’s Mister Mars. Mister Mars is an animal. But at the same time he is a movie star, a celebrity. He has a pivotal role for the protagonist of the text. Therefore, the aim of this study is first to introduce the theoretical background of the nature of fictional characters and then to display some difficulties present particularly in Forster’s classification through the characterisation of two non-human examples. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T12:36:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-25793cc717bb4be58717214fbb8254e1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1300-4921 |
| language | Turkish |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T12:36:01Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Selçuk University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi |
| spelling | doaj.art-25793cc717bb4be58717214fbb8254e12023-02-15T16:14:37ZturSelçuk UniversitySelçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi1300-49212017-06-0137677810.21497/sefad.328259FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSABarış METEIn Aspects of the Novel, Edward Morgan Forster introduces the critical concepts of flat and round to describe the nature of different types of fictional characters. According to Forster’s theoretical categorization, flat characters are constructed and exist in their fictional realm around a single feature or quality. As this is the key criterion, Forster argues that flat characters can easily be recognized and remembered by the reader. Flat characters remain mostly the same through circumstances. In other words, flat characters never surprise the reader. Contrary to the nature of flat characters, round characters operate in an opposite direction to their counterparts. Round characters never remain the same throughout events, and it is not easy to recognize them since they do not exist under the dominance of a single trait. In addition to these, round characters are those who surprise the reader. Although Forster’s categorisation of fictional characters has functioned well in most of the cases, some characters are not easily analysed under this formula. Franz Kafka’s Gregor Samsa, for example, seems neither a round nor a flat character. Throughout his story, he remains the same. At the same time, he surprises the reader, which is not expected from him since he is mostly the same character in the text. Samsa’s turning into an insect further complicates the definition of his roundness or flatness. Another example is Iris Murdoch’s Mister Mars. Mister Mars is an animal. But at the same time he is a movie star, a celebrity. He has a pivotal role for the protagonist of the text. Therefore, the aim of this study is first to introduce the theoretical background of the nature of fictional characters and then to display some difficulties present particularly in Forster’s classification through the characterisation of two non-human examples.http://sefad.selcuk.edu.tr/sefad/article/view/735/634Fictional charactersflatroundhumannon-human |
| spellingShingle | Barış METE FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Fictional characters flat round human non-human |
| title | FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA |
| title_full | FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA |
| title_fullStr | FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA |
| title_full_unstemmed | FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA |
| title_short | FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA |
| title_sort | forsterian model of characterization and non human characters in narrative fiction iris murdoch s mister mars and franz kafka s gregor samsa |
| topic | Fictional characters flat round human non-human |
| url | http://sefad.selcuk.edu.tr/sefad/article/view/735/634 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT barısmete forsterianmodelofcharacterizationandnonhumancharactersinnarrativefictionirismurdochsmistermarsandfranzkafkasgregorsamsa |