Learning objectives

To learn how to answer exam questions

To learn about CHARACTERISATIONS as opposed to CHARACTERS

Important definition – COPY THIS, LEARN IT!

CHARACTERISATION is how and why an author presents a character in the way he does.

CHARACTER is a person in a novel

WHY does more sophisticated analysis discuss CHARACTERISATIONS as opposed to characters?

Characterising yourself

If you were PRESENTING yourself in a novel, how would you CHARACTERISE yourself?

As a stable, faithful, practical person like Oak?

As a seductive, dangerous person like Troy?

As an obsessive like Boldwood?

As someone searching for love like Bathsheba

As a victim like Fanny Robin

As a busy-body friend like Liddy?

Plan the characterisation for your own modern FFMC!

Write out who would play the relevant roles from the people you know…

Reflect…

Why did you PRESENT people in the way you did? What were you trying to say about them? What were you trying to say about key themes like love, attraction, betrayal, by presenting them like this…

Characterisations

All writers make choices in the way they PRESENT their characters, deciding to characterise them in positive and negative ways. Eg Often Eastenders present seductive men in NEGATIVE ways, showing them to be manipulative and deceitful. This was true in Victorian times as well…

Answer

The characters in a novel are MADE UP! They are not REAL! Treating them as real people sounds naive (B grade maximum)

When talking about characterisations, you are discusses an author’s techniques and purposes, how and why an author is presenting us with this character.

The characterisation of Troy

Think about Hardy’s presentation of Troy

How does he CHARACTERISE him? CHOOSE YOUR TOP THREE POINTS

Attractive?

Deceitful?

Honest?

Seductive?

Stable?

Obsessive?

Loving?

Brutal?

Regretful?

Using this terminology in a sense

Thomas Hardy’s characterisation of Serjeant Troy as a manipulative, deceitful man creates tension in the novel.

Hardy characterises Troy as opportunistic when dealing with Bathsheba; he seduces her because he can.

Write a sentence each using this word about: Bathsheba, Boldwood and Oak.

The presentation of a character

The crucial point is that you consider how and why an author presents us with a character in the way he does.

The characterisation of Troy

Hardy characterises Troy as seductive.

WHEN and HOW?

The characterisation of Troy

Hardy characterises Troy as:

Deceitful

A bully and a villain

When and how?

Evidence?

The characterisation of Troy

Hardy characterises Troy as regretful. For once, Troy is not your stereotypical seductive villain. When and how?

Troy at Fanny’s grave

Context of the time

Victorian readers were very familiar with characters like Sergeant Troy from their reading of poems eg ballads. He was a stereotype: a villainous, seductive soldier.

Who are the stereotypical villains now?