An analysis of Character Introduction using Hemingway's "Across the River and into the Trees" with two newly discovered methods.

This is an analysis of character introductions used by Hemingway in  Across the River and into the Trees.

Notice that in addition to the five kinds of character introductions covered earlier, two new techniques are utilized: Thought and Dialogue. These new methods are used thirteen times! – Thought seven and Dialogue six times. 
Action is used four times, Setting twice and Straightforward twice. 

With focus on the shooter and from how he is described, it appears this character possess the following traits:

competitive 

determined

intrepid

easily offended by criticism. 

innovative

very decisive 

terse and direct

easily irritated by the lazy or standoffish natures

is happy to force work on another to get what he wants 

likely ex-military 

possess high ideals 

considerate of possibilities

believes in a sense of fair play 

methodical

considers the safety of others

modest

pragmatic

careful

adaptable

self controlled

has some insecurity

possess a traditional value system

thinker

planner

The analysis:

They started two hours before daylight. 

This shows the character is a determined sportsman. (Time and Place)

Now, the sixth boat turned south into a shallow lagoon.

This shows the character is intrepid because he takes a path the other boats don’t. (Action)

“Be careful,” the poler in the stern said. “Don’t tip the boat over.” “I am a boatman, too,” the shooter said.

This shows that the poler doesn’t think much of the shooter while the shooter is easily offend by criticism. ( Dialogue)

Holding the blade he reached forward and punched the handle through the ice. 

This shows the shooter is innovative when confronting problems – in contrast to the poleman, who later on uses the blade part to break the ice. (Action) 

“What do you mean, as I wish? You know the water. Is thee water to carry us there?” 

This shows the shooter is terse and easily irritated by lazy or standoffish people. (Dialogue)

“It will be daylight before we get there if we don’t hurry.”

This shows the shooter is decisive. (Dialogue) 

All right you surly jerk, the shooter thought to himself. We are going to get there. We’ve made two-thirds of the way now and if you are worried about having to work to break ice to pick up birds, that is altogether too bad.“Get your back in it, jerk,” he said in English.

This shows, once again, that he dislikes passive resistance or laziness and is happy to force work on another to get what he wants while still displaying some self control by cursing the poler in a language he can’t understand. (Thought and Dialogue)

The shooter, wearing his hip boots and an old combat jacket, with a patch on the left shoulder that no one understood, and with the slight light patches on the straps, where stars had been removed.

This shows he might be ex-military and possibly angry about something because of the removed stars from the strap. (Straightforward)

The shooter was thirsty from the hard work of breaking the ice and driving the boat in and he felt his anger rise, and then held it, and said, “Can I help you in the boat to break ice to put out the decoys?”

This shows he gets irritated when someone doesn’t help or do his job. It also shows he is able to corral his anger enough to keep it in and is even considerate enough to offer help to the one who is angering him.  (Setting and Straightforward)

He’s in a beautiful mood, the shooter thought. He’s a big brute, too. I worked like a horse coming out here. He just pulled his weight and that’s all. What the hell is eating him? This is his trade isn’t it.

This shows the shooter has a sense of fair play, and is upset when this is not displayed by others. He also has an open mind to the possibilities that another may have reasons for their behaviour. (Thought)

He arranged the shooting stool so he would have the maximum swing to the left and right … so he could reach in easily…he loaded both his guns and checked the position of the boat that was putting out the decoys”

This shows the shooter is a planner and is mindful of the danger the poler is in. (Action) 

“then without looking at the result of his shot he raised the gun smoothly”

This shows he is methodical, efficient and possibly modest because he doesn’t stop to admire his work with the first shot and maximizes his time when trying to hit the other duck. (Action)

He knew he had shot carefully on the first duck…and on the second duck…to be sure the boat was out of any line of fire…with complete consideration and respect for the position of the boat, and he felt very good as he reloaded.

This shows that he is methodical and avoids recklessness.  (Thought)

“I will indeed.”

This shows the shooter has self control because he keeps his anger in and is able to say things counter to his actions. (Thought)

“Get you decoys out,” he called to the man in the boat. “But get them out fast. I won’t shoot until they are all out. Except straight overhead”

This shows the shooter is directive and pragmatic and can adapt to the situation without sacrificing potential gain. (Dialogue)

I can’t figure it, the shooter thought to himself. He knows the game. He knows I split the work, or more, coming out. I never shot a safer or more careful duck in my life than that. What’s the matter with him? I offered to put the dekes out with him. The hell with him.

Here me doth protest too much, which suggest there is an indication that the shooter may be insecure about something. Once again he is a person who expects reciprocity from others and is easily annoyed when others don’t live up to expectations. (Thought)

Don’t let him spoil it, the shooter told himself.

This shows he is capable of emotional self control. (Thought)

You probably will only have a few birds, so don’t let him spoil it for you. You don’t know how many more times you will shoot ducks and do not let anything spoil it for you.

This shows he uses forethought and plans ahead and capable of managing his internal thoughts. He also appears to be worried about the future. (Thought)

Feel free to generate a character introduction using the two new techniques: Thought and Dialogue.

Character Introduction Finale

As a finale to character introduction, the following Thomas Wolfe passage from “Look Homeward, Angel” is an example that incorporates four of the five methods discussed;  (1) straightforward, (2) character action, (3) report, (4) setting.

“Enormous humor flowed from him like crude light. Men who had never known him seethed with internal laughter when they saw him, and roared helplessly when he began to speak. Yet, his physical beauty was astonishing. His head was like that of a wild angel – coils and whorls of living golden hair flashed from his head, his features were regular, generous, and masculine, illuminated by the strange inner smile of idiot ecstasy.  

His broad mouth, even when stammering irritability or nervousness clouded his face, was always cocked for laugher – unearthly, exultant, idiot laughter. There was in him demonic exuberance, a wild intelligence that did not come from the brain. Eager for praise, for public esteem, and expert in ingratiation, he was possessed by this demon utterly at the most unexpected moments, in the most decorous surroundings, when he was himself doing all the power to preserve the good opinion in which he was held.

 Thus listening to an old lady of the church, who with all her power of persuasion and earnestness was unfolding the dogma of Presbyterianism to him, he would lean forward in an attitude of exaggerated respectfulness and attention, one broad hand clenched about his knee, while he murmured gentle agreement to what she said:

 “Yes?…Ye-e-es?…Ye-e-e-es?…Ye-e-es?…Is that right?…Ye-e-es?”

Suddenly the demonic force would burst in him. Insanely tickled at the cadences of his agreement, the earnest placidity and oblivion of the old woman, and the extravagant pretence of the whole situation, his face flooded with wild exultancy, he would croon in a fat luscious bawdily suggestive voice:

“Y-ah-s?…Y-a-h-s?…Y-ah-s?…Y-ah-s?

And when at length too late she became aware of this drowning flood of demonic nonsense, and paused, turning an abrupt startled face to him, he would burst into a wild “Whah-whah-whah-whah” of laughter, beyond all reason, with strange throat noises, tickling her roughly in the ribs.”

Examine the book you are currently reading and enter the author’s version of character introduction. Identify what method(s) they use. Please mention other versions of character introduction you discover.

Five Weeks of Character Introductions: Part Five.

Introduction Through Time or Place

The fifth way of introduction is by situating the character in a time or place – in a setting.

The opening paragraph of Robert Stone’s “A Flag for Sunrise” demonstrates this method:

“Father Egan left off writing, rose from his chair and made his way—a little unsteadily—to the bottle of Flor de Cana which he had placed across the room from his desk. The study in which he worked was lit by a Coleman lamp; he had turned the mission generators off to save kerosene. The shutters were open to receive the sea breeze and the room was cool and pleasant. At Freddy’s Chicken Shack up the road a wedding party was in progress and the revelers were singing along with the radio form Puerto Alvarado, marking the reggae beat with their own steel drums and crockery.” (p. 3)

Notice that this introduction relies on the character’s circumstances rather than a description of him or direct access to his thoughts. There is no physical description of the Father – we only know that he has been drinking, he is alone and  living in a Third World seaside mission far from his home country and cut off from any intellectual stimulation. 

How do we know these things?

(1) We know he is an intellect living in a place with few intellectuals because he is a priest and is writing and it is in a Third World country.

(2) We know he is conscious of his drinking and that he is attempting self restraint otherwise the bottle would be on the table beside him since he forces himself to walk over to the wine.

(3) He is shrewd because he is only using a Coleman lamp.

Think of your character and identify three traits. Try writing an introduction using this setting method that reveals these three traits through showing writing and post it in the comment section below. 

Five Weeks of Character Introductions: Part Four

Part Four- Introduction by Report


In this method a character is introduced through the eyes of another character. Think of how Nick Carraway in the Great Gatsby describes Gatsby or William Faulkner’s unnamed first person narrator introduces Miss Emily in his story “A Rose for Emily” as shown in the following:

When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant—a combined gardener and cook—had seen in at least ten years. (, p. 119)

            

This is followed by other paragraphs in which characters describe Miss Emily’s history, her standoffish behaviour and her physical appearance.

Now write your version of character introduction using this method.