Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA

Year 2017, Issue: 37, 67 - 78, 22.06.2017
https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.328259

Abstract

In Aspects of
the Novel
, Edward Morgan Forster introduces the critical concepts of flat
and round to describe the nature of different types of fictional characters.
According to Forster’s theoretical categorization, flat characters are constructed
and exist in their fictional realm around a single feature or quality. As this
is the key criterion, Forster argues that flat characters can easily be
recognized and remembered by the reader. Flat characters remain mostly the same
through circumstances. In other words, flat characters never surprise the
reader. Contrary to the nature of flat characters, round characters operate in
an opposite direction to their counterparts. Round characters never remain the
same throughout events, and it is not easy to recognize them since they do not
exist under the dominance of a single trait. In addition to these, round
characters are those who surprise the reader. Although Forster’s categorisation
of fictional characters has functioned well in most of the cases, some
characters are not easily analysed under this formula. Franz Kafka’s Gregor
Samsa, for example, seems neither a round nor a flat character. Throughout his
story, he remains the same. At the same time, he surprises the reader, which is
not expected from him since he is mostly the same character in the text.
Samsa’s turning into an insect further complicates the definition of his
roundness or flatness. Another example is Iris Murdoch’s Mister Mars. Mister
Mars is an animal. But at the same time he is a movie star, a celebrity. He has
a pivotal role for the protagonist of the text. Therefore, the aim of this
study is first to introduce the theoretical background of the nature of
fictional characters and then to display some difficulties present particularly
in Forster’s classification through the characterisation of two non-human
examples.

References

  • ARISTOTLE (2007). “Poetics”. The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. ed. David H. Richter. New York: St. Martin’s. 59-81.
  • BARRY, Peter (1995). Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester: Manchester UP.
  • BARTHES, Roland (1974). S/Z. trans. Richard Miller. New York: Blackwell.
  • BLOCKER, H. Gene (1974). “The Truth about Fictional Entities”. The Philosophical Quarterly XXIV (94): 27-36.
  • CHATMAN, Seymour (1993). Reading Narrative Fiction. New York: Macmillan.
  • CRITTENDEN, Charles (1966). “Fictional Existence”. American Philosophical Quarterly III (4): 317-321.
  • EDER, JENS and JANNIDIS, FOTIS et al. (2010). “Characters in Fictional Worlds: An Introduction”. Characters in Fictional Worlds: Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film and Other Media. eds. Jens Eder, Fotis Jannidis and Ralf Schneider. New York: de Gruyter.
  • FISHELOV, David (1990). “Types of Character, Characteristics of Types”. Style XXIV (3): 422-439.
  • FORSTER, Edward Morgan (1985). Aspects of the Novel. New York: A Harvest Book.
  • FOWLES, John (1982). Mantissa. Boston: Little Brown.
  • HEIDBRINK, Henriette (2010). “Fictional Characters in Literary and Media Studies”. Characters in Fictional Worlds: Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film and Other Media. eds. Jens Eder, Fotis Jannidis and Ralf Schneider. New York: de Gruyter.
  • HERMAN, David (2009). Basic Elements of Narrative. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • HOSPERS, John (1980). “Truth and Fictional Characters”. The Journal of Aesthetic Education XIV (3): 5-17.
  • IACOBONI, Marco (2009). Mirroring People. New York: Picador.
  • KAFKA, Franz (1993). Collected Stories. trans. Willa and Edwin Muir. London: Everyman’s Library.
  • KEEN, Suzanne (2003). Narrative Form. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • MEAD, Gerald (1990). “The Representation of Fictional Character”. Style XXIV (3): 440-452.
  • MURDOCH, Iris (1982). Under the Net. London: Penguin Books.
  • PICKREL, Paul (1988). “Flat and Round Characters Reconsidered”. The Journal of Narrative Technique XVIII (3): 181-198.
  • PLATO (2003). The Republic. ed. G. R. F. Ferrari. trans. Tom Griffith. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
  • RIMMON-KENAN, Shlomith (1983). Narrative Fiction. London: Methuen.
  • TRÖHLER, Margrit (2010). “Multiple Protagonist Films: A Transcultural Everyday Practice”. Characters in Fictional Worlds: Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film and Other Media. eds. Jens Eder, Fotis Jannidis and Ralf Schneider. New York: de Gruyter.
  • WEINSHEIMER, Joel (1979). “Theory of Character: Emma”. Poetics Today I (1/2): 185-211.

FORSTER’IN KARAKTER MODELİ VE KURGUSAL ANLATIDA İNSAN DIŞI KARAKTERLER: IRIS MURDOCH’TAN MISTER MARS VE FRANZ KAFKA’DAN GREGOR SAMSA

Year 2017, Issue: 37, 67 - 78, 22.06.2017
https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.328259

Abstract

Aspects of the Novel adlı eserde Edward Morgan
Forster, farklı türlerdeki kurgusal karakterlerin yapılarını tanımlamak için
düz ve yuvarlak kavramlarını ortaya koymaktadır. Forster’ın kuramsal
sınıflandırmasına göre düz karakterler, bulundukları kurgusal ortamda tek bir
özellik ya da nitelik etrafında yapılandırılır ve varlıklarını sürdürürler.
Anahtar ölçüt bu durum olduğundan, Forster düz karakterlerin okuyucu tarafından
kolaylıkla tanınıp hatırlandığını savunur. Düz karakterler olaylar boyunca da
çoğunlukla aynı kalırlar. Başka bir deyişle, düz karakterler okuyucuyu hiçbir
zaman şaşırtmazlar. Düz karakterlerin yapılarının aksine, yuvarlak karakterler
karşıtlarına aksi yönde hareket ederler. Yuvarlak karakterler olay örgüsü
boyunca aynı şekilde kalmazlar ve tek bir özelliğin etkisi altında varlıklarını
sürdürmediklerinden, tanınmaları da kolay değildir. Bütün bunların yanında,
yuvarlak karakterler okuyucuyu şaşırtan karakterlerdir. Her ne kadar çoğu
örnekte Forster’ın karakter sınıflandırması doğru işlese de, bazı kurgusal
karakterler bu kural altında çözümlenememektedir. Örneğin Franz Kafka’nın
Gregor Samsa adlı karakteri ne düz ne de yuvarlak bir karakter gibi
görünmektedir. Hikâyesi boyunca da aynı şekilde kalmaktadır. Metinde çoğunlukla
aynı karakter olarak kaldığı için, aynı zamanda da kendinden beklenmeyecek bir
şekilde okuyucuyu şaşırtmaktadır. Samsa’nın bir böceğe dönüşmesi düzlüğü ya da
yuvarlaklığını daha da karmaşıklaştırmaktadır. Diğer bir örnek de Iris Murdoch’ın
Mister Mars adlı karakteridir. Mister Mars aslında bir hayvan karakterdir. Aynı
zamanda da bir film yıldızı, ünlü bir varlıktır. Metnin ana karakteri için de
vazgeçilmez bir konuma sahiptir. Bu nedenle, bu çalışma öncelikle kurgusal
karakterlerin yapısı konusundaki kuramsal arka planı göstermeyi ve iki insan
dışı karakter üzerinden Forster’ın sınıflandırmasındaki bazı zorluklar üzerinde
durmayı amaçlamaktadır.

References

  • ARISTOTLE (2007). “Poetics”. The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. ed. David H. Richter. New York: St. Martin’s. 59-81.
  • BARRY, Peter (1995). Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester: Manchester UP.
  • BARTHES, Roland (1974). S/Z. trans. Richard Miller. New York: Blackwell.
  • BLOCKER, H. Gene (1974). “The Truth about Fictional Entities”. The Philosophical Quarterly XXIV (94): 27-36.
  • CHATMAN, Seymour (1993). Reading Narrative Fiction. New York: Macmillan.
  • CRITTENDEN, Charles (1966). “Fictional Existence”. American Philosophical Quarterly III (4): 317-321.
  • EDER, JENS and JANNIDIS, FOTIS et al. (2010). “Characters in Fictional Worlds: An Introduction”. Characters in Fictional Worlds: Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film and Other Media. eds. Jens Eder, Fotis Jannidis and Ralf Schneider. New York: de Gruyter.
  • FISHELOV, David (1990). “Types of Character, Characteristics of Types”. Style XXIV (3): 422-439.
  • FORSTER, Edward Morgan (1985). Aspects of the Novel. New York: A Harvest Book.
  • FOWLES, John (1982). Mantissa. Boston: Little Brown.
  • HEIDBRINK, Henriette (2010). “Fictional Characters in Literary and Media Studies”. Characters in Fictional Worlds: Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film and Other Media. eds. Jens Eder, Fotis Jannidis and Ralf Schneider. New York: de Gruyter.
  • HERMAN, David (2009). Basic Elements of Narrative. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • HOSPERS, John (1980). “Truth and Fictional Characters”. The Journal of Aesthetic Education XIV (3): 5-17.
  • IACOBONI, Marco (2009). Mirroring People. New York: Picador.
  • KAFKA, Franz (1993). Collected Stories. trans. Willa and Edwin Muir. London: Everyman’s Library.
  • KEEN, Suzanne (2003). Narrative Form. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • MEAD, Gerald (1990). “The Representation of Fictional Character”. Style XXIV (3): 440-452.
  • MURDOCH, Iris (1982). Under the Net. London: Penguin Books.
  • PICKREL, Paul (1988). “Flat and Round Characters Reconsidered”. The Journal of Narrative Technique XVIII (3): 181-198.
  • PLATO (2003). The Republic. ed. G. R. F. Ferrari. trans. Tom Griffith. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
  • RIMMON-KENAN, Shlomith (1983). Narrative Fiction. London: Methuen.
  • TRÖHLER, Margrit (2010). “Multiple Protagonist Films: A Transcultural Everyday Practice”. Characters in Fictional Worlds: Understanding Imaginary Beings in Literature, Film and Other Media. eds. Jens Eder, Fotis Jannidis and Ralf Schneider. New York: de Gruyter.
  • WEINSHEIMER, Joel (1979). “Theory of Character: Emma”. Poetics Today I (1/2): 185-211.
There are 23 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Barış Mete

Publication Date June 22, 2017
Submission Date February 16, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Issue: 37

Cite

APA Mete, B. (2017). FORSTERIAN MODEL OF CHARACTERIZATION AND NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE FICTION: IRIS MURDOCH’S MISTER MARS AND FRANZ KAFKA’S GREGOR SAMSA. Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi(37), 67-78. https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.328259

Selcuk University Journal of Faculty of Letters will start accepting articles for 2025 issues on Dergipark as of September 15, 2024.