The environmental characters are those whose participation circumstantially complements the story in a book or novel. Literary creations pose a central story that revolves around one or more individuals called characters. These can be based on real or fictional people, animals or fantastic beings.
There are different types of characters that make up a story, such as the main characters -whether they are protagonists or antagonists-, secondary, tertiary, referential and environmental. Each fulfills an important function: they carry out the actions they develop and shape the story, fueling it with their individual conflicts.
In the specific case of environmental characters, their main function is to generate a valid context in accordance with the story that is being told. They are those that allow the environment that surrounds the characters in the plot to be given shape and meaning, allowing the general environment to be something concrete.
Although the participation of environmental characters is occasional and incidental, it is important to emphasize that it must also be significant. The appearance of these characters implies that information is being given about the context or the plot itself that is relevant to the reader.
What are environmental characters?
Environmental characters, also known as incidentals, are said to complement the story, since many times they do not appear constantly, but they do appear during the development of a key point for the plot.
Environmental characters can appear in a single scene or in a couple of scenes throughout the story, as long as their appearance makes sense within the plot put forward by the writer and that it facilitates the gestation of a particular twist.
In other words, the environmental character will have a limited but significant participation, which could set certain events or change the course of events.
Many times, when it comes to novels with more than one book, it usually happens that these characters appear several times throughout the series; However, these appearances are not recurrent but fleeting and sporadic, since they fulfill an accessory and complementary role.
Importance of environmental characters
The presence of environmental characters helps to define and identify the circumstances, the context and the environment where the scene unfolds.
Environmental characters enrich the plot, since they function as a link to provoke various actions that release tension or modify events.
Although they rarely have dialogues, their interventions are usually brief and are limited to highlighting and commenting on a particular situation, or making an observation or question.
Another of the purposes of the environmental characters - and perhaps one of the most used by the authors - is to prepare the ground for the entry of the protagonist or antagonist to the next turning point within the plot.
Although the appearance of an environmental character is not recurrent, as it is that of other larger characters, they tend to have a temporary and shared importance.
The appearance of the environmental characters has a plot load that helps the continuity of the story, so that the rest of the characters can carry out their actions.
Examples
An example of an environmental character in a romance story would be a mime who is in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower and approaches the protagonist to give her a rose and a card with the directions to meet her partner, who is waiting for her to ask to marry.
Another example of an environmental character could be a teacher who offers advice to his students, causing a significant impact on the protagonist that will make him change course, giving way to a turning point in the plot.
References
- Amalia Sánchez. (s / f) WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE SECONDARY CHARACTERS OF A NOVEL? Literature trick. Blog. Hera Editions. Retrieved February 5, 2018 from: heraediciones.es
- Arturo Martínez Garnelo. (2010). LITERATURE I. Volume 1. With a focus on competencies. Third semester. Cengage Learning. Retrieved February 5, 2018 from: books.google.com
- Books Space. (2016). THE NOVEL: TYPES OF CHARACTERS. Novels Books Space: Blog about books and culture. Digital Magazines Tendenzias Media, SL Excerpted on February 05, 2018 from: espaciolibros.com
- Iria López Teijeiro. (2013). TYPES OF CHARACTER: THE IMPORTANCE OF SECONDARIES. Writing techniques. Blog. Literautas: If you like to write. Notes, tutorials, exercises, reflections and resources on writing or the art of storytelling. Retrieved February 5, 2018 from: literautas.com
- Jose Pimat. (2017). TYPES OF CHARACTERS IN NARRATIVE: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES. Narrative. How to write well. Retrieved on February 5, 2018 from: comoesificarbien.com