What makes someone a 'character'?

By Jnana Hodson on June 25, 2024

Often, it's a flip comment and everybody nods as if knowing exactly what's meant. Except, if you look closer, the actual definition gets fuzzy.

Calling someone a "character" falls in that vein.

The term itself reminds me of an older Quaker I knew. At the time, her mobility had been confined to a wheelchair for a decade or more. Members of the Quaker Meeting out in Ohio, where we both maintained our affiliation, always said, "Oh, that Anna! She's a character!" But they would never tell me why.

Finally, when I had charge of her memorial service in New Jersey, I popped the question. And it was a rich experience.

Among the examples was from the days when she was still driving but relying on that wheelchair. She rolled up beside the passenger door, crawled into the seat, folded up the wheelchair and tossed it into the back, and then somersaulted into the driver's seat. I can't imagine, much less what was involved when she arrived.

What I did realize, on my drive back to New Hampshire, is that each of us has our first 40 years to get our act together and the next 40 to be a character.

So, back to matter at hand – sharpening our definition of a character.

Aided by responses from another circle of friends, here are ten things to consider.

A "character" is in at least several of these:

True to self: Authentically themselves regardless of the opinions of others; comfortable in their own skin; possessing strong backbone.
One of a kind: Standing a step apart from social norms; a nonconformist, unconventional. By definition, exceptional or original.
Attuned to a lofty goal: Religion, art, social action, or so on.
Faithful to moral values: It's more than having character – integrity, honesty, loyalty, compassion, for instance – but of actually embodying them. This can manifest as courage, perseverance, and confidence to move through difficult situations.
Eccentric: I'm guessing this goes beyond everyday preferences and habits of a mundane nature, like how we have tea or coffee. But it can mean something more than just one-of-a-kind. Maybe colorful? Quirky? A streak of ornery, in many cases, but not too much – like fresh ground pepper on a meal. Or even stubbornness.
Seen in a positive light: Likeable, funny, interesting, amusing, a bit of a charmer, willing to do or say what we shy away from but would secretly consider. "I see it as a good thing … a positive thing."
Or in a negative sense: Nuts, weirdo, strange; annoying; rubs people the wrong way. "I hear it as snide, not meant to be flattering." A slang thesaurus comes up with Soup Nazi and Ron Paul as synonyms. The matter of intonation does not show up in the definitions, but hearing a voice would certainly thicken the plot. (Did I put those two synonyms in the wrong spot? Some folks might see those individuals in a positive light.)
Open to praise or ridicule: "They often have no idea they're not conforming."
Willing to make self-sacrifices: Back to that lofty goal. Or at least not squander time and money on less worthy items.
Sometimes even a big personality: In this case, being the center of attention, almost like they're always performing. Well, an actor does play a character, but that's just make-believe. This goes beyond that.