Persona: Creating and Critiquing It

Introduction to Persona

A persona in literature is a literary device where an author creates a character or narrator distinct from themselves to convey a specific perspective, voice, or personality within a work. This constructed persona allows authors to explore various viewpoints, emotions, or themes and can serve as a narrative tool to engage readers and convey complex ideas. It often blurs the line between the author’s identity and the character they present, adding depth and complexity to the text.

How to Create Persona in a Fictional Work

Creating a persona for a fictional character adds depth and complexity to their personality and help readers connect with them on a deeper level. Here are some tips on how to create a persona for a character in a fictional work:

Step	Explanation	Example
1. Define Your Character’s Attributes:	Clearly outline the key attributes, personality traits, and characteristics of your literary persona. Consider their background, beliefs, and motivations.	In creating the character of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle defined him as a brilliant detective with keen observational skills and a penchant for solving complex mysteries.
2. Establish a Unique Voice:	Develop a distinctive voice and tone for your persona. Consider their speech patterns, vocabulary, and style of expression.	Mark Twain’s character Huckleberry Finn had a unique voice with colloquial language and dialect that reflected his rural upbringing in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
3. Consistency is Key:	Maintain consistency in your character’s behavior, thoughts, and actions throughout the narrative to ensure a coherent persona.	In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the character of Severus Snape consistently displays a complex mix of antagonism and hidden compassion.
4. Align with Your Narrative Goals:	Ensure that your persona serves the narrative’s purpose. Whether they are a protagonist, antagonist, or a thematic element, their role should enhance the story.	In George Orwell’s 1984, the character of Big Brother serves as a symbol of totalitarianism and surveillance, aligning with the novel’s dystopian themes.
5. Balance Depth and Mystery:	Reveal enough about your character to engage readers and convey their persona effectively, but also leave room for intrigue and discovery.	In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the character of Jay Gatsby is revealed gradually, allowing readers to uncover his enigmatic past and motivations.
6. Embrace Complexity:	Create multi-dimensional personas with flaws, contradictions, and evolving characteristics to make them more relatable and interesting.	In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the titular character is complex, displaying both indecision and a thirst for revenge, making him a compelling figure.
7. Consider Cultural Context:	Be mindful of cultural, historical, or societal factors that may influence your character’s persona, as this can add depth and authenticity.	In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the character of Okonkwo’s persona is shaped by Igbo cultural norms and traditions, impacting his actions and decisions.
8. Use Internal Monologue:	Explore your persona’s inner thoughts and emotions to provide insight into their personality and motivations.	In Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, the first-person narrative allows readers to access Jane’s internal monologue, revealing her inner struggles and desires.
9. Seek Feedback:	Share your writing with others, such as peers or beta readers, to gather feedback on how well your persona is conveyed and whether it resonates with the audience.	Aspiring author Emma shares her manuscript with a writing group to receive constructive feedback on whether her protagonist’s persona is effectively portrayed and relatable.

Benefits of Persona

There are several benefits to using personas in literature and other forms of storytelling:

1. Adds depth to characters:
   • Creating a persona can help to add depth and complexity to characters, making them more relatable and interesting to readers.
   • By adopting a persona, a character can reveal different aspects of their personality and motivations.
2. Enhances character development:
   • By using a persona, authors can develop their characters more fully, exploring their backgrounds, motivations, and desires.
   • This can help to make characters more realistic and believable.
3. Provides insight into characters’ thoughts and feelings:
   • Using a persona can provide insight into characters’ thoughts and feelings, allowing readers to connect with them on a deeper level.
   • This can create a stronger emotional connection between readers and characters.
4. Helps to advance the plot:
   • By adopting a persona, characters can help to advance the plot by driving the story forward through their actions and decisions.
   • This can make the story more engaging and compelling.
5. Provides a unique perspective:
   • Using a persona can provide a unique perspective on the story, allowing readers to see events from a character’s point of view.
   • This can provide a deeper understanding of the story’s themes and message.

Persona and Literary Theory

Literary Theory	Critique of Persona	Examples from Literature
Reader-Response Theory	Emphasizes the reader’s role in interpreting and constructing character personas, suggesting that the reader’s interpretation is as significant as the author’s intention.	In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, readers’ interpretations of Atticus Finch’s persona vary, influencing their understanding of the character.
Feminist Theory	Analyzes how gender shapes the portrayal of characters and their personas, examining how literature challenges or reinforces gender stereotypes.	In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, the titular character’s persona challenges Victorian-era gender norms through her independence and resilience.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Explores characters’ personas to uncover unconscious motivations and desires that drive their actions, delving into the psychological aspects of persona construction.	In Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the persona of Raskolnikov is dissected to reveal the complex psychological factors driving his deeds.
Postcolonial Theory	Examines how literature reflects and perpetuates colonial power dynamics, analyzing character personas to identify influences from or resistance to colonialism.	In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the persona of Okonkwo reflects the impact of colonialism on traditional Igbo society.
Structuralist Theory	Analyzes how personas are structured within narrative frameworks, exploring the interplay between characters’ roles and plot development.	In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the persona of Lady Macbeth plays a crucial role in the unfolding of the tragedy as she influences her husband’s actions.
Marxist Theory	Investigates how class, social, and economic factors influence character personas, critiquing the representation of social hierarchies in literature.	In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the personas of characters like Pip and Miss Havisham reflect the impact of class and wealth on their identities.

Suggested Readings

1. Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. Hill and Wang, 2013.
2. Brooks, Cleanth. The Well Wrought Urn: Studies in the Structure of Poetry. Harcourt Brace, 1947.
3. Eco, Umberto. Six Walks in the Fictional Woods. Harvard University Press, 1994.
4. Foucault, Michel. The Birth of the Clinic: An Archaeology of Medical Perception. Vintage Books, 1994.
5. James, Henry. The Art of Fiction. Oxford University Press, 2000.
6. Pessoa, Fernando. The Book of Disquiet. Translated by Richard Zenith, Penguin Classics, 2002.
7. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Barnes & Noble Classics, 2008.