Blog 10: Quote of the Day (11/29/12)

"Character gives us qualities, but it is in actions-what we do-that we are happy or the reverse...All human happiness and misery take the form of action." -Aristotle
 

This quote I believe is very truthful.  I think happiness and misery do take the form of an action.  Happiness or misery causes us to do things different than the usual.  Not only will our moods be shown to be visibly different, but the specific things we do.  Character does give us these qualities.  Character lets us discover who a person is and figure out why they are the way they are.
 
Aristotle's quote is very useful when I think about writing my short story. It kind of explains to be that I should make my story as if the reader is there, not like I'm just telling them about it. In my short story, I want my characters to come to life and be relatable. I want people to know the character so well that they can almost predict what he/she will do in certain situations. Not only though dialogue will I be able to describe the characters, but through what they do and how their body language affects their interactions with others.

I think happiness and misery must also be shown in the setting of my story.  I need an atmosphere that reflects who my characters are and who they want to be.  When the mood of the story changes, the mood of the surroundings need to change as well.  In great stories, I don’t think the author should have to say when someone is filled with joy or filled with sadness.  The detail should be so specific, that the reader can pick up on different cues to know the feelings of the characters.  Anyone can tell a story and say that someone was sad, but then the reader doesn’t know the type of person they are when they’re sad.  Character has to be shown through actions.