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LITERATURA NORTEAMERICANA

Round vs. Flat Characters: Definition, Differences, and

Examples of Flat and Round Characters in Fiction
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 8, 2020

What Is a Round Character?

A round character is deep and layered character in a story. Round characters are
interesting to audiences because they feel like real people; audiences often feel
invested in these characters’ goals, successes, failures, strengths, and weaknesses.

 Round characters are fully realized characters that come into conflict with
each other and other characters in believable ways, spurring character
development.
 One literary term often confused with “round character” is “dynamic
character,” and while they both go hand in hand, they are different concepts.
While a round character is a character with a complex personality, a dynamic
character is one that changes throughout the course of a story.
 Hence, a character can be both round (interesting) and dynamic (changed).

Examples of famous round characters in literature include Elizabeth Bennet in Jane

Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

4 Tips for Writing Round Characters

Writing a round character can be tough. It is difficult to build a complex character

with layers and depth. Use the following tips and tricks to help get you started:

1. Motivation is revealed in the choices someone makes. The harder the

choices, the more possibilities you have to reveal the character’s deepest
nature.
2. In choosing between good and evil, people will always choose what they
perceive to be good. You must know your character’s mind in order to
understand their beliefs and how they will justify their actions—even the
cruel ones.
3. Conflict is essential for developing character. If nothing is at stake, then a
person’s choices don’t matter very much, and the audience will begin to lose
interest.
4. A round character should evolve. Ideally, your story should increase the
conflict for your character, so that their choices and responses evolve
throughout.

Source: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/round-vs-flat-characters-in-fiction#what-is-a-
round-character
 INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DEL PROFESORADO SAN AGUSTÍN
LITERATURA NORTEAMERICANA

What Is a Flat Character?

A flat character is a two-dimensional character lacking depth or a real personality.

Usually, flat characters have just one or two perfunctory traits. Often considered
“stock characters,” flat characters can often be summarized in one word (like “bully”
or “love interest”) and never digress from or transcend their role.

 A good story is never made up of mostly flat characters. A good story needs
to have a balance of round and flat characters.
 Flat characters still need to serve a specific purpose to propel the story
forward in some way.
 Flat characters are often confused with static characters, and while they are
related, they are different concepts. Where a flat character is one that is
two-dimensional, a static character is one that doesn’t change throughout
the course of the story.
 Most flat (uncomplex) characters are static (unchanged by the end of the
story), but not all static characters are flat.

Examples of flat characters in literature include Crabbe and Goyle in J.K.

Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Elizabeth Proctor in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

What Is the Purpose of Flat Characters?

While unintentionally flat characters can be evidence of weak writing, there are still
reasons for good writers to write flat characters:

 They are useful in plot-heavy narratives. In stories where the plot is the
main focus, such as science fiction narratives, deep character backstories can
get in the way of plot details. To help guide readers through the story,
writers of plot-heavy narratives can opt for flat characters to let the narrative
take center stage.
 As foil characters for round characters. A foil character is a type of character
that embodies the opposite traits of another character, thereby
strengthening audiences’ opinions of both characters. A flat character
interacting with a round character will act as a foil, whose flatness will
reinforce to audiences the impressive depth of the round character.
 To communicate a moral or morals. Fairy tales and fables like The Little Red
Hen employ flat characters to great effect. These stories are primarily
concerned with illustrating a clear moral point, without character details
getting in the way.
 For comedic effect. Flat characters aren’t easy to take seriously, because
audiences can’t relate to them—but when they’re written to be funny,
audiences can enjoy laughing at a flat character’s one-dimensionality. Flat
characters work especially well for quick comedic sketches, where a deep
character backstory would only detract from the jokes.

3 Tips for Writing Flat Characters

Source: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/round-vs-flat-characters-in-fiction#what-is-a-
round-character
 INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DEL PROFESORADO SAN AGUSTÍN
LITERATURA NORTEAMERICANA

If you find yourself in a situation where you’d like to write a flat character, keep
these tips in mind:

1. Make a list of possible traits. Even if you’re writing a character who is

intentionally flat, it’s good to explore the personality options. Flat characters
can still be quirky if you choose an interesting personality trait—for instance,
you could pick a gravedigger who’s always solemn, but a slightly more
interesting choice is a gravedigger who’s happy because he loves his work.
2. Determine what will have the most impact. If you’re writing a flat character
as a foil for a round character, consider giving the flat character traits that
mirror the round character’s. If you’re writing a flat character for a plot-
heavy narrative, consider giving the flat character traits that will be relevant
in moving the plot forward.
3. Don’t take it too seriously. If an audience feels as if they’re supposed to take
your flat character very seriously, they may have a hard time relating to the
character and might feel unimpressed with your writing skills—even if the
plot is great. With flat characters, try to relax and let the audience know that
the character is meant to be flat.

What Is the Difference Between Round and Flat Characters?

The biggest difference between round and flat characters is the character’s
complexity: round characters have layers, while flat characters do not.

These layers cause the round characters to be more interesting, meaning audiences
can more easily sympathize with round characters than with flat ones. While making
a truly round character requires more than a single sentence of character
description, consider the following examples of flat and slightly-more-round
characters:

 Flat: A man who is a funeral-home director. Round: A man who became a

funeral-home director because his wife’s funeral was ruined, so he wants to
make sure others have a better experience.
 Flat: A young girl who loves her teddy bear. Round: A young girl who takes
her teddy bear with her everywhere because it was a gift from her recently-
deceased older brother.
 Flat: A high school student who doesn’t know how to swim. Round: A high
school student who doesn’t know how to swim because she saw a shark in
the ocean when she was young, and now refuses to touch the water.

Source: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/round-vs-flat-characters-in-fiction#what-is-a-
round-character