The Hunger Games
In my last post, I mentioned The Hunger Games as an example
of a book where the mind character, rather than the spirit character, is
the main character.The book is written in 1st person present, which can
be very difficult to write, but the traits of each
character/personality type are easy to see, despite the less objective
POV. The fact that Katniss is cool and logical as the mind character
helps in this regard. She is more likely to be objective about the
actions of those around her.
Katniss is introduced, in part, with a description of why she wants to drown a cat. She couldn't justify having another mouth to feed and because the cat was sickly, it would probably die soon, anyway. Katniss can only see the logical ramifications of keeping this cat. She can't see the joy or comfort it would bring Prim, her little sister. Those are spirit characteristics, not mind characteristics.
Later, Katniss recalls the story of getting a goat for Prim. She recounts how the goat could provide milk for cheese and the extra cheese could be sold and all the practical reasons for having a goat around. Peeta, her partner in the Games, sees it differently, as described below in the spirit character section.
At the reaping, when Prim's name is drawn to be a tribute (competitor) for the Games, Katniss has a momentary mental crisis. She calculates the odds, the thousands of slips of paper with names to be drawn, the tesserae she took to have her name added again to the drawing. She thinks, "Hadn't I done everything?" and "The odds had been entirely in her favor." To Katniss, it wasn't 'fair' that Prim's name had been drawn, and fairness is something that is very important to a mind character. Katniss also knows the rules of the reaping thoroughly. She knows she can volunteer and take Prim's place.
Katniss wants to focus all her attention on strategy during her training. "When we get to the Cornucopia, ..." She doesn't see the importance of the behind-the-scenes politics her mentor, Haymitch, is pursuing. She doesn't see the benefit of Peeta announcing his love for her at his interview. This comes through clearly when Haymitch, after the Games, gives Katniss advice on how to act in order to appease the government - the 'star-crossed lover's strategy.' Katniss responds by asking, "Got it...Did you tell Peeta this?" Haymitch responds, "Don't have to... He's already there." Katniss has to pretend, while Peeta just feels.
Peeta is introduced at the reaping when Katniss recalls how he had given her bread when she was hungry. It's implied that he burned the bread, accepting his mother's wrath and heavy hand, in order to get it thrown out to Katniss.
At the Capitol, he asks to be trained separately. Because the book is in a 1st person POV, we do not know exactly why he did this, but we can infer he was in love with Katniss and didn't know what to do with it. Later in the series, we discover part of the reason was to find ways to help keep Katniss alive, regardless of his own well-being. This kind of self-sacrifice is common in spirit characters, especially where love is involved.When describing their love, spirit characters are apt to say things like, "I'd die for him/her."
Peeta repeatedly helps Katniss despite danger to himself, and when he is sick, he asks Katniss for a happy story. Reluctantly, Katniss tells the goat story. Where Katniss sees logic and practicality, Peeta sees "the lasting joy you {Katniss} gave the sister you love so much you took her place at the reaping."
Peeta worries about Katniss when she has to go out into dangerous situations and is hurt when he discovers she's only been pretending. Mind characters might be 'offended,' but they are very rarely 'hurt' emotionally like spirit characters can be.
Peeta is driven by his emotions, so much so that his actions appear irrational, at times. His 'cause' is his love for Katniss and he will put that ahead of everything else, including his own life. These are all very distinct traits of a spirit character.
Like many body characters, Haymitch is introduced first by his physical description, "...a paunchy, middle-aged man..." He is drunk at the reaping, so much so that he falls off the stage.
On the train to the Capitol, Peeta says about Haymitch, "Last time I saw him, he was going to take a nap." Later, Haymitch reappears in the dining car, drunk again, and Peeta and Katniss both comment on the regularity of this phenomenon. Sleep, food, and drunkenness are all traits that can be attributed to a body character.
When Haymitch finds out Peeta and Katniss are willing to fight, the first thing he asks about is their fighting skills and physical prowess. Haymitch doesn't provide much in the way of strategy (get away quickly and find water), which would be the role of a mind character, nor does he provide much in the way of encouragement, which would be the role of a spirit character.
During the Games, Haymitch's interventions are of a physical nature. He sends medicine when she is wounded and food when she is hungry. He sends broth when Peeta is sick, as well.
While Haymitch fits the description of a body character very well on his own, you could combine him with Effie Trinkett to get a richer and more broadly defined body character. I call these 'binary' characters. Vanity is an attribute of a body character, but Haymitch isn't vain. If anything, he's just the opposite.
Effie, however, fills this void perfectly. She dresses to the standards of Capitol fashion and is appalled at Haymitch, not because of his drunkenness, but because of what people might think.
Effie's role in the book is not enough to make her THE body character, but she makes a perfect complementary character to Haymitch.
The Mind Character: Katniss Everdeen
Katniss is introduced, in part, with a description of why she wants to drown a cat. She couldn't justify having another mouth to feed and because the cat was sickly, it would probably die soon, anyway. Katniss can only see the logical ramifications of keeping this cat. She can't see the joy or comfort it would bring Prim, her little sister. Those are spirit characteristics, not mind characteristics.
Later, Katniss recalls the story of getting a goat for Prim. She recounts how the goat could provide milk for cheese and the extra cheese could be sold and all the practical reasons for having a goat around. Peeta, her partner in the Games, sees it differently, as described below in the spirit character section.
At the reaping, when Prim's name is drawn to be a tribute (competitor) for the Games, Katniss has a momentary mental crisis. She calculates the odds, the thousands of slips of paper with names to be drawn, the tesserae she took to have her name added again to the drawing. She thinks, "Hadn't I done everything?" and "The odds had been entirely in her favor." To Katniss, it wasn't 'fair' that Prim's name had been drawn, and fairness is something that is very important to a mind character. Katniss also knows the rules of the reaping thoroughly. She knows she can volunteer and take Prim's place.
Katniss wants to focus all her attention on strategy during her training. "When we get to the Cornucopia, ..." She doesn't see the importance of the behind-the-scenes politics her mentor, Haymitch, is pursuing. She doesn't see the benefit of Peeta announcing his love for her at his interview. This comes through clearly when Haymitch, after the Games, gives Katniss advice on how to act in order to appease the government - the 'star-crossed lover's strategy.' Katniss responds by asking, "Got it...Did you tell Peeta this?" Haymitch responds, "Don't have to... He's already there." Katniss has to pretend, while Peeta just feels.
The Spirit Character: Peeta Mellark
Peeta is introduced at the reaping when Katniss recalls how he had given her bread when she was hungry. It's implied that he burned the bread, accepting his mother's wrath and heavy hand, in order to get it thrown out to Katniss.
At the Capitol, he asks to be trained separately. Because the book is in a 1st person POV, we do not know exactly why he did this, but we can infer he was in love with Katniss and didn't know what to do with it. Later in the series, we discover part of the reason was to find ways to help keep Katniss alive, regardless of his own well-being. This kind of self-sacrifice is common in spirit characters, especially where love is involved.When describing their love, spirit characters are apt to say things like, "I'd die for him/her."
Peeta repeatedly helps Katniss despite danger to himself, and when he is sick, he asks Katniss for a happy story. Reluctantly, Katniss tells the goat story. Where Katniss sees logic and practicality, Peeta sees "the lasting joy you {Katniss} gave the sister you love so much you took her place at the reaping."
Peeta worries about Katniss when she has to go out into dangerous situations and is hurt when he discovers she's only been pretending. Mind characters might be 'offended,' but they are very rarely 'hurt' emotionally like spirit characters can be.
Peeta is driven by his emotions, so much so that his actions appear irrational, at times. His 'cause' is his love for Katniss and he will put that ahead of everything else, including his own life. These are all very distinct traits of a spirit character.
The Body Character: Haymitch Abernathy
Like many body characters, Haymitch is introduced first by his physical description, "...a paunchy, middle-aged man..." He is drunk at the reaping, so much so that he falls off the stage.
On the train to the Capitol, Peeta says about Haymitch, "Last time I saw him, he was going to take a nap." Later, Haymitch reappears in the dining car, drunk again, and Peeta and Katniss both comment on the regularity of this phenomenon. Sleep, food, and drunkenness are all traits that can be attributed to a body character.
When Haymitch finds out Peeta and Katniss are willing to fight, the first thing he asks about is their fighting skills and physical prowess. Haymitch doesn't provide much in the way of strategy (get away quickly and find water), which would be the role of a mind character, nor does he provide much in the way of encouragement, which would be the role of a spirit character.
During the Games, Haymitch's interventions are of a physical nature. He sends medicine when she is wounded and food when she is hungry. He sends broth when Peeta is sick, as well.
What about Effie Trinkett?
While Haymitch fits the description of a body character very well on his own, you could combine him with Effie Trinkett to get a richer and more broadly defined body character. I call these 'binary' characters. Vanity is an attribute of a body character, but Haymitch isn't vain. If anything, he's just the opposite.
Effie, however, fills this void perfectly. She dresses to the standards of Capitol fashion and is appalled at Haymitch, not because of his drunkenness, but because of what people might think.
Effie's role in the book is not enough to make her THE body character, but she makes a perfect complementary character to Haymitch.
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