In the article, “Memorable Characters,” five authors collaborate to explain what makes a memorable character. These authors are Cindi Giorgis, Nancy J. Johnson, Chrissie Colbert, Angela Conner, Janine King, and Dottie Kulesza. They use different examples, from different novels they have already studied to help make their point.

Any author can create a character. They can create illustrations to provide a visual sense of that character and, in detail, describe what it looks like. But, if a character is not multi dimensional, people will be less inclined to remember it and will not want to read about him or her or it again. If a character is not open to interpretation by the reader, it will not be a memorable one. A character does not even have to be human. As long as people can relate to it anyway they want, the person or thing will become unforgettable. People love to talk and think about themselves, so if they see a part of themselves in something, they will want to return to it.

As stated before, this articles main focus is on memorable characters. So, what does make a memorable character? The authors state, “Often, it is in the way the author portrays the vulnerability or uniqueness of the character so that he or she lingers long after the story concludes” (Giorgis, Johnson, Colbert, et al. 1). Memorable characters do not have to always be human, but because they spark an emotional reaction from the reader, they can be meaningful.

The authors use an example from Catherine Patterson‘s, “Preacher’s Boy.” A boy named Robbie Hewitt is the son of a small town preacher. He loves his father but wishes that he was not a “preachers boy” because he feels it is so restrictive. Robbie then says that when he gets older he wants to become a heathen just to spite his father. The authors use this story as an example, because many readers may feel restricted in someway just as Robbie felt. The slightest thing may lead readers to believe there is a relationship between them and the character. This will grab their attention and they will be invested into the story.

The Beautiful and Damned tells the life story of a man named Anthony Patch. He is a socialite in 1910s New York. He marries a beautiful woman named Gloria Gilbert. Their marriage becomes extremely difficult because both of their selfish attitudes conflict each other. Readers then see Anthony and Gloria‘s journey through partying and alcoholism. Many people can relate to Anthony and Gloria’s story. Their common life problems can be shared with many and if readers feel they can relate, they are locked in for the rest of the novel.

MLA Citations

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Beautiful and Damned. Modern Library, 2002.

Giorgis, Cindi; Johnson, Nancy J; Colbert, Chrissie; Conner, Angela; King, Janine; Kulesza, Dottie. “Memorable Characters.” ProQuest, Newark, vol. 53, The Reading Teacher, March 2000, 518-527, ProQuest, search.proquest.com/openview/7ad145b34a6112acb4d2983e76c1c5d7/1?pq-origsite..., 27 January 2021.