Flat Character Examples & Definitions

Analysis Questions

In literature, the best way to determine whether or not characters are “round” or “flat” is to consider a few questions:

• Does the character have a well-developed backstory? Do I know anything about this character’s history or what’s happened to them in the past?
• How much does the character change or evolve over the course of the story? Is there a clear transition from beginning to end? Does the character grow in some way?
• Are the character’s behavior and feelings somewhat complex or does the character mostly stay the same?
• Could I generate a long list of character attributes? Or would I not be able to say much at all.
• Is the character’s personality consistent, or do they show surprising or unpredictable qualities?
• Does the character feel realistic in any way or do they appear more as a filler character who doesn’t contribute much?
• Does the author include any details about the character’s goals, motivations, and relationships?

The questions can help you determine whether or not a character is “flat” and static or “round” and dynamic.

Flat Characters in Children’s Literature

In children’s stories, there are often many characters. Some famous flat characters include: 

• In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, there is a character called the White Rabbit. The White Rabbit is very nervous and worries a great deal about time. He even sings a song about being late! However, this is the rabbit’s only trait that the audience really comes to understand. Readers do not learn much more about him and he does not change during the story. 
• Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is a classic children’s tale.In the story, Captain Hook, a villain, is obsessed with capturing Peter Pan. Captain Hook’s presence provides the main conflict, but readers do not learn much about him. Whenever he arrives in the story, the author mainly uses him to portray that he is a dangerous character to Peter Pan and his friends. Captain Hook is a flat and unchanged character.
• The Wizard of Oz from L. Frank Baum also contains a villain who doesn’t change throughout the story. The Wicked Witch of the West only wants power and revenge. She is evil. Like Captain Hook, she has one disposition and one focus throughout the story. 

Flat Characters in Classic Literature

In classic literature, there are also many flat characters: 

• Sherlock Holmes is a series enjoyed by many. Written by Arthur Conan Doyle, the series also includes a character named Dr. Watson and he can best be described as steadfast, dependable, and in that way is rather “flat.” He doesn’t change. He is always the same. 
• John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, includes a character who is only identified as Curley’s Wife, rather than an actual character name, is a flat character. The audience never learns her name and also doesn’t know much about her background, except for the story of how she and her husband, Curley, met. She is also relatively sad and engages in attention-seeking behaviors, emphasizing her loneliness on the ranch. 
• In Washington Irvington’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the main character, Ichabod Crane, has interactions with Brom Bones, a character who is aggressive and very masculine. He is different from Crane in that Bones never develops. His attitude and disposition are always the same. He is intimidating and a clear opposite to how Ichabod Crane is portrayed and is flat.