In fiction, characterization is the process of assigning characters a role in the story by means of their personality and the representation of this personality in a text. Characters with an important role in the narrative are typically demanded two main aspects: that they be round, and that they be consistent.Dictionary.com wrote:per·son·al·i·ty /ˌpɜrsəˈnælɪti/
noun, plural per·son·al·i·ties.
- the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others: He has a pleasing personality.
- a person as an embodiment of a collection of qualities: He is a curious personality.
- Psychology .
- the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual.
- the organized pattern of behavioral characteristics of the individual.[/list:o]
- the quality of being a person; existence as a self-conscious human being; personal identity.
- the essential character of a person.[/list:o]
Round characters, as defined by E.M. Forster, are complex and cannot easily be summed up in one or two words, and they tend to evolve throughout a story. The Forsterian classification of "round" versus "flat" characters is usually considered as two ends of a spectrum with many variations in between.
Consistent characters show a constant, coherent personality throughout a work, although they may evolve in the context of the narrative, and actions by the characters that are not believably explained by their personality and the current context are usually considered to be "out of character".
The point of this thread is to discuss, in the context of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, through reasoned arguments and preferably with case-by-case evidence, the tension between the opposite demands that a character be consistent, with the danger that a particular writer may "Flanderize" them (exaggerate certain aspects of their personality to the point that they become, at least temporarily, a flat character), and that they be round, with the danger that a particular writer may depict them acting "out of character" in a certain episode. What is the relevance of both aspects? Which one is more important? What are instances of pulling too far in either direction? Do particular writers tend toward either particular tendency? Are there relevant aspects of the art of characterization that this post is grossly oversimplifying?
What do you think?