character & characteristic

8/12/2019 Character & Characteristic

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CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERISTICS

Characters are the invented, imaginary people in a story which are given human

qualities and behavior. There are main characters and minor characters in a short story.

Main characters are the most important characters in a story. Minor characters are less

important and contribute less to the story.

MAIN CHARACTER

Karim

He is the youngest son of Zulkifly and Puan Haryati who was born handicapped. He is

eleven years old. His twin brothers, Fariq and Faroq are six years older than him. They

are not very attached to him but their parents love Karim intensely. The followings are

the character traits of Karim :

Inquisitive and curious

Almost every question with Karim is a question. This can shown from the extracts

of the text, for example :

Mak, what makes the world go around one way and not the other?

But dont you want to know? I do. I want to know everything there is to know in

this world. Is it possible, Mak?

Emotionally strong

Karim himself is an angel to nurse. No whining at the extra medication given byDr Tan to reduce the pain nor were there any grumbles at having to take extra

rest from him.

Sporting

Karim accepts his disability and copes with it in the sporting way.

Intelligent and spirited

No one in the house had expected Karim to outrun them in spirit or intelligence.

He wants to know everything there is to know in the world and always throw

many unanswerable questions to his parents.

Happy and cheerful

Karim enjoys himself when his parents tease each other. Looking at him laughing

is like looking at a well of happiness where his parents fervently hope it will never

dry up.


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Realizes he will die soon

It was Fariq who first noticed Karims preoccupation with death. Karim reads

books on death and horrible things like that. During one of their together times

where they played chess or read together, Karim asked his mother whether he is

going to die soon.

Extract from the text :

Am I going to die soon, Mak? Wont I grow up first?

Hopeful

Karim hopes to walk and run like the other boys. He say that one day he will go

around the world three times. This can be shown from the following extract of the

text :

Oh yes, Mak! I want to be able to walk and run like all the other boys. One day I

will and then I will go around the world three times.

Sad

Growing more melancholy, Karim spent hours just staring out the window at the

boys playing football or the neighbours children playing hide-and seek. All his

face ever showed was a deep sadness for what was never to be for him.

Determined

Karim is determined and his willpower will not let his handicap get in the way of

him doing everyday things like playing pranks on siblings.

Mischievous

This can be shown from the following extract of the text :

Im too cute to die young, anyway. Think of all the girls wholl be left behind with

their hearts broken.

MINOR CHARACTERS

Haryati

Puan Haryati is Zulkiflys wife and at the same time a mother to Fariq, Faroq and Karim.

The followings are the character traits of Puan Haryati :

Love Karim

Puan Haryati and his husband love Karim intensely although Karim was born

handicapped.


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Dense

It can be shown from the following extract of the text :

I shook my head, giving up. Still, his hopeful dreams were infectious and the

stupid mother in me started hoping with equal fervor than somehow my boy

would escape death.

Emotional

Puan Haryati cannot control her emotion when Dr Tan told her and her husband

to be prepared of the death of Karim at anytime. This can be shown from the

extract of the text :

The anger that flooded through me stopped the tears that threatened to fall

with the frustration of not being able to do anything against the monster who was

going to take my baby from me.

I broke down then and it was for the last time.

Sense of humour

Karim, Puan Haryati and her husband often play childishly in the verandah of

their house in the evening when the weather was fine. Puan Haryati is a humour

person. For instance :

I am trying to hear my tomato plants grow and I cant make that infernal racket.

Helpless

Puan Haryati walked about the hospital corridors, feeling helpless and defeated,

hoping that Karim would regain consciousness on the night he was sent to the

hospital after collapsed in his bedroom.

Still feels a link with her deceased son

Puan Haryati still feels a link with her deceased son, Karim. It can be shown from

the extract of the text :

If I ever feel in need of loving now, all I have to do is look at the creased little

piece of paper on which my son left his bequest of love and I feel all right again.


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Zulkifly

He is Puan Haryatis husband and at the same timea father to Fariq, Faroq and Karim.

The following are the character traits of Zulkifly :

Self-controllable

Zulkifly is a strong person. He manages to control his emotion in any situation.

For example, he was holding his tears with great effort when Karim was sent to

hospital on a cold night in June.

Reasonable

Zulkifly asks his wife to accept the fact that their son will not be with them very

much longer and they shall spend every available moment with him. He also

asks his wife learns to let Karim goes for all their sakes. This can be shown from

the following extract of the text :

No, but I think you should learn to accept the fact that our son wont be with us

very much longer and spend every available moment with him. Learn to let him

go, Yati, please, for all our sakes.

Love Karim

As a father to Karim, he loves his son intensely although Karim was born

handicapped. It can be shown from the bequest of love written by Karim :To my father, who loved me best,

Sense of humour

Zulkifly and his wife always tease each other to make Karim shaking and at times

laughing with uncontrollable laughter.

Fariq

Fariq and Faroq are twins. They are Karims brothers who are six years older than him.

The followings are the character traits of Fariq :

Observant

It was Fariq who first noticed Karims preoccupation with death. It can be shown

from what Fariq tell his mother in the text :


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He reads books on death and horrible things like that, Mak, said Fariq.

Indifferent

As Fariq is six years older than Karim, he is not very attached to him and alwaysshowed his indifference towards Karim. For instance,

Playing your childish games again?asked Fariq.

Yup! answered Karim smartly, a wide smile plastered on his funny face, with its

far-apart eyes and button nose. With his hair standing in springy tufts, he looked

exactly like a golliwog.

Wanna join us?

No fear! said Faroq and the two of them left for their football game.

Active in sports

Fariq is active in sports especially in football game. It can be shown from the


said Faroq and the two of them leftfor their football game.

Intelligent and good-looking

It can be shown from the extract of the text :

They are good-looking and intelligent, my twin boys, but not half as much fun as

my Karim was.

Love Karim

Fariq and Faroq play football less often and spend a lot of time talking and

goofing around with Karim as they are trying to make up for their previous

indifference towards Karim.

Guilty and regretfulFariq feels guilty and regret of his previous indifference towards Karim. He is

trying to make up with Karim by spending a lot of time talking and goofing around

with him.


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Emotional

Fariq and Faroq broke down on the night Karim was sent to the hospital.

Caring and wants Karim to be happy

Fariq does his part by getting his girlfriends father to publish the cartoons in his

childrens magazine as nothing could have made Karim more proud than to see

his name in print. Karim now seemed confident and happy as well.

Faroq

Faroq and Fariq are twins. They are Karims brothers who are six years older than him.

The followings are the character traits of Faroq :

Self-controllable

He is checking himself and making allowances to Karim for what has been done

by Karim on his favourite pair of shoes-Karim put chewing gum in his shoes. It

can be shown from the extract of the text :

Did you put chewing gum in Faroqs shoes?

Yes, I thought it would be fun to watchhim jump and it was! The cheeky

monkey was grinning.

Why, youyou, Faroq began, then checking himself, he walked off muttering,

I give up!

Indifferent

As Faroq is six years older than Karim, he is not very attached to him and always

showed his indifference towards Karim. For instance,

Playing your childish games again? asked Fariq.

Yup! answered Karim smartly, a wide smile plastered on his funny face, with its

far-apart eyes and button nose. With his hair standing in springy tufts, he lookedexactly like a golliwog.

Wanna join us?

No fear! said Faroq and the two of them left for theirfootball game.


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Active in sports

Faroq is active in sports especially in football game. It can be shown from the


said Faroq and the two of them left for their football game.

Intelligent and good-looking

It can be shown from the extract of the text :

They are good-looking and intelligent, my twin boys, but not half as much fun as

my Karim was.

Love Karim

Fariq and Faroq play football less often and spend a lot of time talking and

goofing around with Karim as they are trying to make up for their previousindifference towards Karim.

Guilty and regretful

Faroq was wallowing in his own separate world of guilt and regret on the night

Karim was sent to the hospital.

EmotionalFaroq and Fariq broke down on the night Karim was sent to the hospital.

Dr Tan

He has been treating Karim since Karim was a baby. The followings are the character

traits of Dr Tan :

HonestDr Tan never deceives Puan Haryati and Zulkifly about Karims chances of

recovery. He also asks them to be prepared for Karims leaving at anytime as

Karim is not expected to live very long. This can be shown from the following


I have told you both to be prepared, Yati, he told me solemnly. You are lucky to

have had him for this long.


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Impersonal and unaffected by impending death

As a professional doctor, he is impersonal and unaffected by impending death. It

can be shown from the extract of the text below :

The doctor looked at Zul and shrugged as if to say, Cant you expla in to her that

its out of my hand?

Dr Manogari

Compassionate

It can be shown from the extract of the text below :

Still, this lady was looking at me with compassionate eyes. Perhaps she was

human, after all.

Would you like to sit down somewhere, Puan Haryati?

No, I muttered, determined to make it difficult for these people.It would be better for everyone if you relaxed for a while. Go and sit down in the

lounge, please, its going to be a long night and you will need all your strength.

Considerable

Dr Manogari gives her silent signals to the nurses who are preparing to move

Karim into the childrens ward to leave Puan Haryati and Karim alone in order to

let Puan Haryati with Karim right up to his last breath.


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