Character Description Methods in Novels (Essay Sample)

"I do believe that characters in novels belong to their writers and their readers pretty equally..."-Ann Brashares. Throughout all the novels and films read this semester, multiple characters embody several different positive adjectives and can be used as an example for what true resilience, tolerance, commitment, and even accomplishment looks like. There is not a singular word that could be used to describe the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird or Wonder, but they can represent the best version of a word.

Max Vandenburg, from Mark Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, shows the best and most obvious traits of resilience in comparison to other characters. Before moving in with the Hubermans, Max lived with his childhood friend Walter, who would house him in a storeroom for the next two years. When he moved to the Hubermans, he was forced to stay in their freezing cold basement which later caused him to nearly freeze to death. Without his inner strength and resilience, he would not have survived through World War II.

Atticus Finch, in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is the most tolerant character. When presented with Tom Robinson’s case, he did not immediately reject it nor was he extremely excited. He is one of the most tolerant people in Maycomb when it comes to black people. He does not attempt to make immediate change in the county or tell people that their way of thinking is wrong. His family cook Calpurnia is a black woman, and he pays her and treats her normally, though he does not treat her like part of the family he tolerates her. When the angry mob goes to the jail to kill Tom Robinson, Atticus is not angry at them, he just seems to tolerate them until he (and Scout) remind them of all that the Finches have done for them and their families.

Calpurnia Coleman, another character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is the best representation of commitment seen throughout the entire semester. Calpurnia works for the Finches as their cook, but also watches and takes care of Jem and Scout occasionally. During Tom Robinson’s trial, it was more dangerous that before for black people to be in Maycomb. Calpurnia continued to work for the Finchs without thinking about her safety and only about the need to feed and care for her own children.

Isabel Pullman from Stephen Chbosky’s film Wonder is the first character that comes to mind for the word “accomplishment”. Isabel has many goals and dreams that are put on hold when August is born since he is very high maintenance with his surgeries and homeschooling. So, when August goes to public school, Isabel has the opportunity to focus on herself. At the end of the novel, Isabel has a feeling of accomplishment since August is finally happy at school with his friends, and she and Via are spending more time together.

From Max Vandenburg in The Book Thief to Isabel Pullman in Wonder the characters from different works, all depict different words in different ways. Most characters show or represent a word in their own way, either positive or negative, but Max Vandenburg, Atticus Finch, Calpurnia Coleman, and Isabel Pullman are the best examples of resilience, tolerance, commitment, and accomplishment. Those four words cannot be expressed by anyone better.