Because a lack of complexity is the hallmark of a flat character, it's common for readers to have very little information about a flat character's background or the motivations behind their actions. In other words, Forster wrote, flat characters lack the ability to surprise readers, or to do so in a convincing manner. In his original definition of the term, Forster focused on the idea that flat characters are defined by a single idea or quality (like “overbearing mother” or “villain”) from which they fail to deviate in any meaningful way.
Forster in his 1927 book The Aspects of the Novel. The word "flat" was first used to describe fictional characters by E.M. Here's how to pronounce flat character: flat kar-ik-ter The Origin Story of Flat Characters It just means that they are one-dimensional.
The important thing about flat characters is that they never transcend or break with the formula that defines them. Typically, flat characters can be easily and accurately described using a single word (like "bully") or one short sentence (like "A naive and idealistic schoolteacher with a fragile heart of gold"). What is a flat character? Here’s a quick and simple definition:Ī character is said to be "flat" if it is one-dimensional or lacking in complexity.