A character analysis demands that we evaluate the traits of a literary being. If you’re not sure how to write a character analysis, we have some tips for you:

Start With The Basics

Begin by introducing your character to the reader. Dedicate a few lines to explaining who they are; mention your character's name, gender, and any other useful information like nationality, age, or physical appearance.

Make sure to link your future arguments with this information. For example, if you’re analyzing a character whose fate depends on something other than his personality, you will have to inform people of that detail in advance.

Take Bruno from The Boy In The Striped Pajamas as an example. The reader of your essay must know his nationality because the irony of the story is that his race gets mistaken, which leads to his tragic end. Had the reader of your essay not known Bruno’s true nationality or race, your character analysis of him would not have made much sense.

So, be sure to start your essay by introducing your character and stating their basic personal profile.

Decide Your Character's Role In The Story

Knowing your character's contribution to the plot will help you analyze them better. There are three main categories under which a character falls:

Protagonist: Also known as the hero or heroine, the protagonist is traditionally an all-good character, often with a savior complex. Protagonists are the star of the show; much of the story revolves around them, and their absence would leave a massive hole within the plot.

Antagonist: A protagonist is useless without an antagonist to complement their nobility. Antagonists are what we call the “bad guys.” They believe in evil and seek destruction, only to be destroyed by the protagonist instead.

Supporting Characters: This category covers everyone else in the story. A supporting character could act as comic relief, be used to bridge any gaps within the storyline, or help thicken the plot. If you are analyzing a supporting character, be sure to let your reader know which sub-category they fall into and what their contribution is to the plot. Supporting roles may or may not have a depth to them; it all depends on the unique plot you are analyzing.

Once you know what your character's contribution is to the storyline, you can begin to analyze them with a critical eye.

Decide On Questions To Ask Your Character

One of the best ways to extract information for your essay is to conduct a pretend-interview with your character. Note down a set of questions you’d like to ask them and then go over the story again to find suitable answers.

Here are a few questions you may want to ask your character:

“Can you describe the nature of your relationship with this other character?” In the case of Harry Potter, for example, his relationship of attachment to Dumbledore is strong because of his childhood deprivation of parental love.

“How would you describe yourself in three words?” This is an excellent question to ask your character because it helps you see them through their own eyes. Once you have a few keywords regarding their personality, you can sprinkle them through your essay and use them as tools to boost your analysis' validity. For example, if you asked Percy Jackson for three words or phrases, his answer would centralize around loyalty, bravery, and him being a demigod. When analyzing his actions, we can simply say that he behaved a certain way because he sees himself as loyal, brave, and as a demigod. Just be sure to cite accurate references to support your argument.

Use References

Each time you introduce a new argument about your character, make sure to support it with references. References can either be direct quotes from the text or an instance where your character acted a certain way.

Multiple references always back a solid argument. At the very least, each new argument or point you make should have one supporting clause or instance from the text to validate your case.

Referencing has always been a part of literature. However, it takes time and is a remarkably demanding task, which is why people go ahead and buy literature review online instead. If you buy a literature review for a UK college instead of writing it, you will save much of your precious time that you can allocate to writing another online paper or dissertation instead.

Summarize Your Essay With A Powerful Conclusion

What good is an argument that has no conclusion? Be sure to summarize your essay with a meaningful statement to conclude your arguments.

In conclusion, you can use these tips to help you write an impactful character analysis essay.