History Main / FlatCharacter

[[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off her medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Chinese poetry, squeezing out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup ... all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is relayed, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

-->--'''Benny''', ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie2TheSecondPart''

For more fleshed out examples (for lack of a better term), see TheGenericGuy. If you were looking for the trope about characters that are ''literally'' flat, see PaperPeople, SquashedFlat, or maybe PetitePride or ACupAngst.

->"Loving spaceships is my one defining trait!"

Indeed, adding details to the character [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail indicates to the audience that the character is to be important]]. The SpearCarrier, the RedShirt, the BitCharacter may require a Flat Character, to prevent the reader from feeling cheated. This is why we get the FatalFamilyPhoto - if an otherwise interchangeable RedShirt takes the time to establish his hopes and dreams, it's obvious they're going to be dashed in the name of drama. NominalImportance is another example of this.

Indeed, [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail adding details]] to the character indicates to the audience that the character is to be important. The SpearCarrier, the RedShirt, the BitCharacter may require a Flat Character, to prevent the reader from feeling cheated. This is why we get the FatalFamilyPhoto - if an otherwise interchangeable RedShirt takes the time to establish his hopes and dreams, it's obvious they're going to be dashed in the name of drama. NominalImportance is another example of this.

A flat character is one that has only the bare minimum of characteristics necessary to play their role in the story. It might be simpler to just have a look at CharactersAsDevice, to cut through all the fog of lit-crit jargon around characterization.

%% Please see thread to discuss a new image.

->''"She runs the gamut of emotions from A to B."''
-->-- '''Creator/DorothyParker'''

[[TropesAreTools Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off her medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Chinese poetry, squeezing out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup ... all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is relayed, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

[[TropesAreTools Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off her medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry, squeezing out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup ... all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is relayed, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

[[TropesAreTools Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry, squeezing out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup ... all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is relayed, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

Characters who start out flat can be [[DynamicCharacter fleshed out]] into {{Rounded Character}}s with CharacterDevelopment, HiddenDepths and/or being RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap. Or some characters can look flat until the RedHerringShirt reveal shows they are full characters. They can also become a StaticCharacter trapped in amber with repeat uses of a ResetButton or SnapBack, negating what little growth they manage; and they may mutate into ''another'' sort of Flat Character with {{Flanderization}}. Some writers intentionally make characters flat to display their unhealthy psyche.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5aa5f9fc789827c441311d6ec3a809f6.jpg]]

[[TropesAreNotBad Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry, squeezing out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup ... all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is relayed, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

-->--'''Creator/DorothyParker'''

A flat character is one that has only the bare minimum of characteristics necessary to play their role in the story and no CharacterDevelopment. It might be simpler to just have a look at CharactersAsDevice, to cut through all the fog of lit-crit jargon around characterization.

[[TropesAreNotBad Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance[[note]][[UnknownCharacter not always]][[/note]] to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry and squeeze out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is relayed, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

Indeed, [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail adding details to the character indicates to the audience that the character is to be important]]. The SpearCarrier, the RedShirt, the BitCharacter may require a Flat Character, to prevent the reader from feeling cheated. This is why we get the FatalFamilyPhoto - if an otherwise interchangeable RedShirt takes the time to establish his hopes and dreams, it's obvious they're going to be dashed in the name of drama. NominalImportance is another example of this.

Characters who start out flat can be [[DynamicCharacter fleshed out]] into {{Rounded Character}}s with CharacterDevelopment, HiddenDepths and/or being RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap. Or some characters can look flat until the RedHerringShirt reveal shows they are full characters. They can also become a StaticCharacter trapped in amber with repeat uses of a ResetButton or SnapBack, negating what little growth they manage; and they may mutate into ''another'' sort of Flat Character with {{Flanderization}}.

[[TropesAreNotBad Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance[[labelnote:*]][[UnknownCharacter not always]][[/labelnote]] to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry and squeeze out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is relayed, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

A flat character is one that has only the bare minimum number of characteristics necessary to make them interesting enough to carry off their purpose.

One example of a flat character is the pawnbroker in ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', who buys Ebenezer Scrooge's bed curtains from the maid who stole them while he was lying on his bed, freshly dead. The scene with the pawnbroker consists of characters that are all so flat -- other thieves selling things, the maid, the pawnbroker himself -- that some productions of the book have dropped the entire scene, with little loss in the telling of the story.

It might be simpler to just have a look at CharactersAsDevice, to cut through all the fog of lit-crit jargon around characterization.

%% One quote is sufficient. Please place additional entries on the quotes tab.

One example of a flat character is the pawnbroker in ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', who buys Ebeneser Scrooge's bed curtains from the maid who stole them while he was lying on his bed, freshly dead. The scene with the pawnbroker consists of characters that are all so flat -- other thieves selling things, the maid, the pawnbroker himself -- that some productions of the book have dropped the entire scene, with little loss in the telling of the story.

A flat character is one that has only the bare minimum number of characteristics necessary to make them interesting enough to carry off their purpose. Flat characters with just one defining trait are known as ''one-dimensional characters'', while flat characters with a few more traits are ''two-dimensional characters''.

A flat character is one that has CharacterDepth only to the bare minimum number of characteristics necessary to make them interesting enough to carry off their purpose. Flat characters with just one defining trait are known as ''one-dimensional characters'', while flat characters with a few more traits are ''two-dimensional characters''.

[[TropesAreNotBad Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance[[labelnote:*]][[UnknownCharacter not always]][[/labelnote]] to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry and squeeze out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is related, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

[[TropesAreNotBad Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance[[labelnote:*]][[UnknownCharacter not always]]]] to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry and squeeze out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is related, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

[[TropesAreNotBad Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance[[hottip:*:[[UnknownCharacter not always]] to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry and squeeze out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is related, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

[[TropesAreNotBad Being flat is not automatically bad.]] Character depth should be proportional to the character's importance[[hottip:*:[[ForWantOfANail not always]] to the story. The fact that the cocktail waitress is a leukemia survivor who is working two shifts to pay off medical bills, all while trying to polish off her doctoral dissertation on Ming-era Mandarin poetry and squeeze out enough time to decide which of her three suitors will best be able to get along with her aging, beloved Pomeranian-Pug pup all comes under the heading of "too much information." By the time all that is related, the customer waiting for his drink has died of thirst.

A flat character is one that only has CharacterDepth only to the bare minimum number of characteristics necessary to make them interesting enough to carry off their purpose. Flat characters with just one defining trait are known as ''one-dimensional characters'', while flat characters with a few more traits are ''two-dimensional characters''.