A protagonist can be flat or static if they lack a fully dimensional personality and do not evolve or change throughout the story. His personality is unique in Gene’s world, but it mainly serves to highlight Gene’s own shortcomings, and his eventual realization that the only enemy he’s fighting is his own insecurities.Ī flat/static character is usually found in a supporting role, but not always. He remains optimistic, upbeat, adventurous, and forgiving of his flawed best friend right up until his death. For example, in the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Gene’s narration focuses on his memories of Finny yet Finny never changes throughout the novel. They can be an archetypal character, like a sidekick, mentor, or villain, which serves to highlight the protagonist’s more complex personality traits.

They often do not learn anything from their experiences, or they are simply in the story to fulfill a role.

A flat or static character is a character in a story that lacks depth and complexity, and tends to remain in a fixed mindset.

What is an example of a flat character