Characters, themes and plots

By Shireen SENADHIRA

Several opinions came up in a discussion of the above topic of characters and themes. One person said that it is characters and characterization that makes the story and she added that a story could be read slowly and enjoyably for a long time if the main character was liked. Also, that she had once read a story, a book by Larry McMurtry, the Pulitzer prize winner for the novel, The Lonesome Dove, and she had liked the characters so much that she felt that she had lost good friends when the book ended. Another opinion was that the characters would bring out the theme themselves.

E.M.Forster

Also, that the best books and movies were the ones, about people going about their daily lives and their relationships with each other. A third opinion was that both character and theme are highly important, saying that if there is no good overall theme for a novel or book, it would be all over the place, without an aim and the reader may get confused. Characters are important to the reader and they can get to know the characters well as the story unravels.

Some stories have stereotype characters who are not well developed but these stories are focused on the plot and the sequence of events capture the reader’s attention. As they read on, they want to find out what happens next as the plot is interesting and intricate. The stories in which the characters are interesting, makes the reader want to know what happens to these characters even though the plot is not original. There are some TV series having a very popular character and the viewer just wants to see the character and how he performs in that TV episode. It doesn’t matter to the viewer if the story is just unrealistic or predictable.

Plot

The beauty of writing is that you can start with a plot, then, construct your characters around the plot or vice versa. Having done both, one must feel free to choose. Either method has come up with good results. In writing, sometimes, one has a beginning in mind or sometimes it is the ending, then one must work forwards or backwards to elaborate the story. For ideas, characters can be based on your friends and plots too can be gathered from real life. One can use dreams and even your pets to make up plots.

Actually a story needs characters and therefore characterization is a key role. Once the characters are established and have ties with other characters then there will be a theme. Unless you could have a theme and then you build your characters round it. This way would be harder, because the theme is bound to change when other characters are brought in.

Taking the novel written by Martin Wickremesinghe, Gamperaliya (transformation of a village), the story portrays the erosion of traditional village life due to the effect of modernization. The traditional economic and social structure of the village is broken down by the commercial culture of the city. The novel was first published in 1944 and it was praised for its realism of the depiction of the peasant society. It was at the time the Sri Lankan society was experiencing a social revolution. 1956 Sri Lanka elections brought in a government led by S W R D Bandaranaike. It was a sweeping win by large mandates that wanted to eliminate the residual elements of the colonial structure. The many western based elite of the society then had to give way to indigenous elite who were rooted in traditional culture and heritage.

The story of Gamperaliya unfolds that Kaisaruwatte Mudliar and his wife Matara Hamine, represent the decaying social order. The family had seen better days and Nanda the second daughter was being given English tuition by a young teacher, Piyal.

Nanda is attracted to Piyal but marriage is out of the question as a wide social gap exists between the two families. Nanda marries Jinadasa, who has the approval of her parents. Later, as their economic plight declines, Jinadasa leaves his home for a better livelihood but he dies penniless. Piyal has bettered himself by that time and Piyal and Nanda marry. Anyhow, they both have changed and the earlier idyllic nature of their relationship eludes them.

The women in the story bring out the theme with their different characters. The social milieu has changed each character as they fitted themselves into the needs and thinking of the time. Matara Hamine, a compassionate mother is practical and controlled in an emotional upheaval as she faces reality. Anula, the unmarried elder sister was wise, kind and strong enough to overcome her own emotions. She understood how her mother reacted with commitment to customs and traditions and she took it all in her stride. Nanda, a trifle frivolous had less understanding of the societal manner. She uprooted herself, which Anula never did, and surrounded herself with commercial comforts of the town to live her life. Thus, the characters bring out the themes in the story: the different status of families, the decaying social order, the rural traditions and customs and the modern way of life in the town and romance and cynicism. Also, old values giving way to new ones and changes blowing in with effect in colonial times.

Martin Wickremesinghe

Another novel in a colonial background is E M Forster’s novel, A Passage to India. In this novel, the barriers to inter-racial friendship in a colonial context are explored. The novel depicts what the British Poet, Rudyard Kipling quoted: ’The East is east and West is west and never the twain shall meet’ and this theme runs throughout Forster’s novel. Kipling, however, was born in India and later lived in India for a long time and this quote was written before Forster’s novel, A Passage to India which was published in 1924.

The novel, A Passage to India explores the relations of two cultures, the Indians and the English. The novel dramatizes the repercussions that followed when Dr Aziz tried his best to entertain the English guests. It is to be noted that the author’s emphasis is on the realms of the personal and the individual rather than the social and political. It is also a novel of colonialism and Imperialism.

It should be remembered that Forster in common with a number of his peers in London, like Virginia Woolf, was an anti –imperialist. These traits are all brought out well by the characters of the novel.

Dr Aziz, in the novel, A Passage to India, is an intelligent, emotional Indian medical doctor who is friendly with Fielding, the principal of a government college.

He tries to make friends with Adela Quested and Mrs Moore. Later Adela accuses Dr Aziz of attempted to rape after an expedition to the Marabar Caves but the charges are dropped after Adela’s testimony at the trial. Mrs Moore, comes to India with Adela to visit her son Ronny who is the magistrate of Chandrapore town. She hopes that Adela will marry her son. Mrs Moore befriends Dr Aziz seeing some spiritual connection with him but the visit to the Marabar Caves end in a catastrophe.

The Chandrapore governor’s wife, Mrs Turton embodies the stereotype snobby, rude and prejudiced English colonial wife. Professor Godbole, a hindu teacher at Fielding’s college is a spiritual man and does not get involved in anybody’s life.

At the time of Dr Aziz’s arrest when Professor Godbole is asked why he did not seem concerned about Dr Aziz, whom he knew well, Godbole answers that the verdict is already drawn and therefore there is nothing he could do.

After Adela’s testimony at the trial and Dr Aziz goes free, Mrs Turton berates Adela and as the rest of the English community except Fielding is in accordance with Mrs Turton, Adela is left to face a difficult time with the English community. All the above characters are well set in the novel and they react and interact with each other according to each temperament in a colonial time very realistically. In this particular novel, with the mysticism of India seen in the mystery of the Marabar Caves, the themes of the novel are woven with the actions of characters and displayed well.

A scene from Gamperaliya

A creative story needs imagination. A real happening could stimulate the imagination for the basis of a literary story. Imagination allows growth of characterization, motivation, setting and provides a special memorable experience for the reader. Literary fiction explores the imagination for the right elements to describe an event in sequential scenes. Then, the story gets structured and the thematic goal will influence the character and plot development.

The characters of a literary story must be interesting, be complex and developed and contribute to the story fully. The motivations and actions of all characters should contribute to the plot momentum. In a good story the reader has a thorough knowledge of who the characters are and why they do what they do. The reader follows the progressive unity and the focus of the story. The development of the characters is always consistent with the story conflict –resolution. The story resolution should be in accord with all what the characters have done in the story. That is the essence of storytelling. A literary story should have the most effective characterization and plot motives to assure story momentum and to achieve reader delight.

The truly great stories have elements of all the following: characterization, plot and theme and the more each is developed and can hold the reader’s attention, the better it is.

However, a story, especially a short story can depend on one of these elements and be good but it needs to have at least one very strong element otherwise the story will amount to nothing.