Abstract
In this article, the writer looks at 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood. The writer discusses that Offred's characterization focuses more on her interior self than on externals of speech and action.

From the Paper
"All of the characters in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale are living in an extremely repressive society. The Republic of Gilead is a totalitarian state based on an extreme form of fundamentalist Christianity. It sees itself as dedicated to saving the human race from extinction and from sin and, charged with these massive responsibilities, it ruthlessly suppresses any opposition. As the Commander puts it, "You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs." In this society, the free ..."

Tags:handmaid, characterization

Abstract
In this article, the writer examines the concepts of irony and characterization in Flannery O'Connor's work "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The writer notes that through the characters of The Misfit and the grandmother, O'Connor demonstrates how different personalities can be delicate in their own way. Tee writer relates that, through a comical and upsetting setting, one sees the importance of characterization in a story; one also sees how irony can be a used a comic relief in telling a horrifying story. The writer concludes that by allowing the two difficult characters to interact with each other in this story, we see a little bit of ourselves and we realize the fragile state of our existence.

From the Paper
"Characterization is another literary technique O'Connor employs in "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The primary characters in this story are the grandmother and The Misfit and the fact that they encounter one another is another blend of the comical and the ironic. However, the dramatic contrast between the two characters is the center of attention. Both characters are grotesque. The grandmother is grotesque because she is a good person only on the surface. We know that she is annoying and overbearing. Because she had to have her way, bring the cat, and show the children the house with the secret panel, the family pays the ultimate price. We can see the grotesque nature of The Misfit because he is a cold-blooded criminal, but it is important to recognize how his character acts as a foil to the grandmother. It is interesting that these two seemingly different individuals almost make a connection by the end of the story. However, it is because of their personalities that they do not connect - she being the domineering type that only wants to talk and he being the psychotic refusing to listen."

Tags:personalities, The, Misfit, character, comical

Abstract
This paper examines how Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find", set in the rural South, is character-driven. It looks at how she effectively uses her characters to symbolize truth and the human problem, which is universal. In particular, it shows how, through the characterization of the Grandmother, she gives her work vitality, allowing the work to take on a life of its own. It also explores how O'Connor uses the story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," to further her message that society is headed in the wrong direction by using the grandmother's characterization to get the message across and accomplish her goal.

From the Paper
"O'Connor uses characterization to make the reader not only see and hear the grandmother, but to look into the grandmother's empty life. By the middle of the story, readers feel pity for the grandmother. She talks and talks, yet says nothing at all. Family is all around her, yet she does not connect with them. She is lonely and really has no one. She mumbles through life, with no mention of dreams for tomorrow, only that things are terrible today. She has no real purpose in life and there are no signs of any spirituality. She only thinks longingly of times and places that are no longer a part of this world. In essence, the grandmother is shallow."

Tags:grandmother, society, generation

Abstract
The paper provides a discussion of the use and effect of characterization in Chinua Achebe's novel, "Things Fall Apart." The paper explains how the author creates round and dynamic characters to support his themes.

From the Paper
"In "Things Fall Apart" Chinua Achebe creates round dynamic characters in order to support the major themes and philosophical goals of the novel. Even though the characters exist in a world far removed from Achebe's intended audience, he has created them such that any audience can read the characters, understand their motivations and ultimately relate to them. This works especially well with the major characters that drive the story as they seem real to us and make real human mistakes."

Tags:chinua achebe, things fall apart, characters

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the work of three modern, Southern Gothic writers. The paper reviews Eudora Welty's "The Petrified Man", Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People" and William Faulkner's "Barn Burning". According to the paper, these writers deploy grotesque characters in their respective short stories as a means of conveying a message to the reader.

From the Paper
"When a charlatan preacher named Manly Pointer takes advantage of Hulga's susceptibility towards flattery, he steals her leg and thus symbolically steals Hulga's sense of her great intellectual gifts--and her atheism, in contrast to her mother's piety. The preacher is shown to be wrong, he is not a good country person, only a thief--he says he collects artificial body parts. But even if Manly is not the man that Mrs. Freeman believed him to be, but Hulga's worldview is equally impoverished as her mother's, hence Hulga's grotesque character symbolizes something about her worldview that rejects religion. The reader is unlikely to see him or herself in Manly, or in Hulga, the way he or she might see him or herself in the excesses of love illustrated in the Welty story, but the imbalanced life led by Hulga, for all of her grotesqueness, proves instructive much like a Biblical parable. The lack of identification, though, creates more of a sense of judgment in the mind of the reader--the reader is more likely to see Hulga as lacking, or Manly as cruel, rather than to feel warmly towards and sympathize with the more human characters of "The Petrified Man." (O'Connor, 1971) "

Tags:symbolic, approval, justification, violence, caricature

Abstract
The author of this paper takes a look at the characterization of Ulysses which Tennyson envisages as a more contemporary, earthly man, whose own restlessness matches the restless nature of Victorian society. He also discusses Homer's characterization of Odysseus as a favorite of the gods. Tennyson portrays further human qualities in Ulysses through his lust for glory. Unlike the immortal god-like Odysseus, Tennyson's portrayal of Ulysses as aged and mortal is the clearest example of his humanity.

From the Paper
"Tennyson's characterization of Ulysses brings a humanistic quality to Homer's once god-like hero by depicting his earthen limitations of restlessness, selfishness, and lust for glory. The aged King portrayed by Tennyson in "Ulysses" resembles only a shadow of the great hero found in Homer. All of the god-like glory that set Odysseus apart and carried him through turmoil is brought to earth by Tennyson's depiction of Ulysses' human qualities. The former glory of Odysseus is recalled as a boast of greatness with the aid and direction of his gods absent. The reader discovers that however great Ulysses once was, he know possesses many of the same faults as ordinary men. The result is a human King facing death yet dreaming of glory. "

Tags:characterization, comparison, homer, tennyson, ulysses, greek, god, hero, odysseus

Abstract
This paper gives a detailed analysis of the characterization, setting and themes in Toni Morrison's "Recitatif." First, the paper gives a plot summary showing how two little girls living in an orphanage because their mothers are unable to care for them. The story continues with the girls growing into adults. Morrison uses characterization and setting to create the theme of racism and abandonment as seen in the main characters of Twyla and Roberta.

From the Paper
"Imagine a "white" little girl who rooms for the first time with an "African American" little girl. Would they be scared? Do they become friends? Toni Morrison's "Recitatif" begins with two little girls living in an orphanage because their mothers are unable to care for them. The story continues with the girls growing into adults. Morrison uses characterization and setting to create the theme of racism and abandonment as seen in the main characters of Twyla and Roberta. The two main characters in this story are Twyla is the main character of the story. She is a little girl who may be white or she may be African..."

Tags:characterization, setting, themes

Abstract
This paper provides an introduction, a summary, and review of "Frankenstein", as well as a discussion of the significance of characterization and theme involved in the work. A review of what the critics have said about the book is followed by a summary of the research. The paper's conclusion concerns Shelley's motivations for writing the book.

From the Paper
"While some scholars point to texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh as early examples of science fiction, most agree that Frankenstein was the first contemporary science fiction novel. According to Dr. William Kumbier, "Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley of England is the work often cited as the first science-fiction novel" (Kumbier, 1999, n. pag.). Shelley inherited a long literary tradition before she set pen to paper. According to Samuel J. Umland, "Mary Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97), was a well-known champion of the feminist cause. . . . In June, 1814, at a time when Mary Godwin would not even have been seventeen, she and Shelley eloped, in company with Jane Clairmont [William Godwin's stepdaughter] on a journey to France and Switzerland. The three returned to England and found themselves mired in scandal; in addition, Shelley faced bleak financial days."

Tags:classical, imagery, industrial, literature, modern, prometheus, revolution

Abstract
This is an interpretive essay written on Alice Walker?s short story, "Everyday Use". The author focuses on the fictional elements of the book and examines the writer's use of characterization and symbolism.

From the Paper
"Alice Walker characterizes each character in "Everyday Use" in a way that helps develop the theme and symbolism of the story. One theme is the old ways vs. the new ways and another theme is offspring breaking from the mold of their parents, wanting to live a different/better life. The narrator, who is the mother, and the younger daughter, Maggie, are living together the old way, which is the way they always have. They live with prejudice without forcing change. The oldest daughter, Dee, is in the process of breaking free from old, impoverished ways and prejudice. The mother and Maggie are examples of down-home living, while Dee is an example of breaking from one's roots and denouncing prejudice. As each person is characterized, the reader is able to see what the different characters represent, which, in turn, enables the reader to understand the theme of the story."

Tags:developement, education, elements, heritage, literary, literature, narrator, prejudice, prose, representation, success, women

Abstract
The writer of this paper provides some background on Joseph Conrad's life and relates that he selected this author because of his interest in this time in history. The writer goes on to discuss how while Conrad's stories are fiction, they provide insight into the human condition and illustrate the dangers of colonialism. Ther writer specifically mentions the rich characterizations in Conrad's works and looks at the views of two critics on Conrad's works.

From the Paper
"Joseph Conrad was born Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in 1857. He was born in Poland but did not spend a long time there as his family was exiled to Russia in 1862. His politically active parents died when he was young. His mother died when he was seven and his father died when he was eleven. Widmer maintains that exile and losing his parents had obvious "traumatic effects on the young Conrad" (Widmer). Conrad was placed in the care of his uncle who might have been stern but allowed Conrad to travel when he was 16. Conrad was fascinated with the sea and this passion prompted his uncle to allow him to move to Marseilles, where he lived for almost four years. He obtained apprentice jobs on ships, where he traveled the sea. Widmer notes that in the meantime, "Conrad's efforts to be a British novelist were arduous and anxious" (Widmer). He is one of the most well-read authors of dramatic realism and his works reflect an era of literature that attempts to delve into the human psyche. Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Conrad's writing is the fact that he was not writing his stories in his native tongue."

Tags:colonialism, imperialism, greed, Kurtz, Nostromo