Critical Concepts Show
"Static" and "Dynamic" Characterization Curiosity about the possibility and conditions of "change in identity" has been remarkably intense, in fiction and in psychology, during the last century. In talk about literature, this has led to the development of a crude but useful terminological distinction of two sorts of characterization: "static" and "dynamic." A static character, in this vocabulary, is one that does not undergo important change in the course of the story, remaining essentially the same at the end as he or she was at the beginning. A dynamic character, in contrast, is one that does undergo an important change in the course of the story. More specifically, the changes that we are referring to as being "undergone" here are not changes in circumstances, but changes in some sense within the character in question -- changes in insight or understanding (of circumstances, for instance), or changes in commitment, in values. The change (or lack of change) at stake in this distinction is a change "in" the character (nature) of the character (fictional figure).
Some tips on using these concepts in a clear and tactful way First off, we don't want to confuse the distinction between static and dynamic characterization with the distinction between flat and round characterization. Secondly, there are some important other senses of the phrase "dynamic character" in common use that have nothing to do with the term dynamic character in the particular sense with which we are concerned here. They are perfectly good in their place, but we have to take care not to confuse them with what we've been talking about.
Moreover, within literary critical discourse, these terms are meant to be purely descriptive, not evaluative. That is, "dynamic" characters are not necessarily better, in narrative art, than "static" ones.
The point of the distinction Noticing which pole it may be towards which an author has decided to steer in characterizing a given character is useful -- but only if we are prepared to use what we notice as a starting point for these new curiosities.
Related discussions.
Return to the Index to the Glossary of Critical Concepts. Suggestions are welcome. Please send your comments to . Contents copyright � 2000 by Lyman A. Baker. This page last updated 07 March 2001 . What refers to the meaning or study of meaning derived from words and word combinations?semantics, also called semiotics, semology, or semasiology, the philosophical and scientific study of meaning in natural and artificial languages. The term is one of a group of English words formed from the various derivatives of the Greek verb sēmainō (“to mean” or “to signify”).
What is the term for instances in which new words are associated with their meaning after only a brief encounter quizlet?Fast Mapping. Instances in which new words are associated with their meaning after only a brief encounter.
What term describes a variation of a language spoken by a particular group of people?dialect, a variety of a language that signals where a person comes from. The notion is usually interpreted geographically (regional dialect), but it also has some application in relation to a person's social background (class dialect) or occupation (occupational dialect).
Which term refers to the social context that language users utilize to determine word meaning?In linguistics and related fields, pragmatics is the study of how context contributes to meaning. The field of study evaluates how human language is utilized in social interactions, as well as the relationship between the interpreter and the interpreted.
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