Singapore PSLE English Language Syllabus Composition Writing Section-prepared by eduKate Tuition Centre
The following is a summarised class material for PSLE EL Syllabus under topic “types of character” that shall be used by eduKate for teaching PSLE candidates in their attempt of the PSLE EL Composition writing section.
Major Characters
Major characters are characters that appear sufficiently in the story to drive the story forwards. They are also characters that will let readers identify with and bond throughout the story.
Minor Characters
Minor characters are characters that appear in localised smaller parts of the story, and could add to driving the story, or not driving the story at all. Minor characters can be used to add to the richness of the story and provide a distraction or comic relief to the reader.
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
Albert Einstein
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character and driver of the story. It creates movement of the plot and engages the reader’s imagination and empathy. The protagonist usually has character traits that readers identify with and is usually the hero or heroine of the story. This is not always true, with protagonists that can be evil, or even neutral to make things interesting for ther reader. The protagonist usually solves the conundrum in the story, or provides for a solution to the moral dilemma presented within the theme taken by the writer.
Antagonist
An antagonist is the counter character to the protagonist, creating friction and problems for the protagonist to negate. The antagonist is the other driver of the plot and, together with the antagonist, moves the plot to its conclusion. The antagonist presents a counter balance to the protagonist and could give a valuable insight for the reader into the protagonists character/actions/decisions. Again, the antagonist might be evil in nature, or could even be a hero in the story, which gives a twist to the general perception and again, makes things interesting for the reader.
Character Development
Dynamic Character
A dynamic character undergoes personality changes in the story plot, developing into another character or attaining a different outlook/experience. It usually takes a pivotal event in the plot where the character experiences monumental tasks and readjusts to cater for the change.
Static Character
A static character does not undergo any changes in the story. Usually static characters does not undergo any changes because throughout the story, a static character is hardly affected by climactic problems and soldiers on solving it.
Instrumental Characters
Round Characters
A round character is fully developed to be complex and realistic. Depth of character and attention to details makes round characters malleable to changes in the plot and readers sympathise with round characters easily through empathy. Round characters also mimic reality and gives readers an insight into the character and keeps the story interesting.
Flat Characters
The reverse of round characters, flat characters are not fully delineated and usually only has one or two traits to carry through the story. Usually not the main character in the story, flat characters are important tools used to provide comic relief, or even instrumental to a change in the plot.
Foil
A foil is a character that contrasts another main character to make readers appreciate the difference. The intention of the foil is to make readers understand the other character its “foiling” better.
Symbolic
A symbolic character is a character that symbolises certain ideas or morals of society. The intention of symbolic characters are for readers to identify the hidden trademarks within the story and see its relevance to the theme of the story. It denotes clever writing and makes the reader appreciate its intelligence and its intrinsic fabrication by the writer.