What is the acid test between a change character and a steadfast character?

questions
#1

Perhaps the greatest example of a steadfast character in a Hollywood movie that I know of is George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life. But, George Bailey actually changes in so far as his view of his life and the value of it changes significantly. In Back to the Future, Marty is listed as a steadfast character, but he changes in as much as he’s much more willing to put himself out there when he plays the guitar at the dance. Po, the Panda, another character listed as steadfast, changes by gaining a great deal of self-confidence.

So, what is the acid test? If all of these characters change (and they do), their change must be of a type which doesn’t count for deciding whether they have a change or steadfast resolve.

So, what kind of change does and does not count?

Pixar's Coco: Storyform Analysis
#2

This is a great question!

You have to think of the MC as having a perspective or worldview that relates directly to their personal issues. In order to do that, you have to get a sense of what their personal issues actually are – the thing(s) they are dealing with that no one else in the story is.

A Changed character will change that perspective – actually change it 180 degrees. Whereas the Steadfast character will actually grow into that perspective, like their worldview has been tested and tempered by the events of the story, and come out stronger.

The recent Shrek thread is a good one to look it explaining the difference (there’s a link to the users group analysis video, too).

See if you can explain Marty’s or Po’s personal issues in a sentence or two, and describe their worldview based on that. You may find that helps you see their “change” as Dramatica sees it, more like Growth within their steadfastness.

(One other tip. You probably know this already, but always compare the character between the beginning and end of the story; during the story they may waver or even completely change perspective and then change back, but it’s how they turn out compared to how they started that matters.)

Pixar's Coco: Storyform Analysis
#3

@mlucas is right. You’re thinking of change in the old sense of the word. Both Steadfast and Changed Main Characters “change”—it’s a matter of defining that perspective that is integral to the construction of the narrative.

I prefer Changed Main Character Resolves over Change Main Character Resolves. One, there already is an Element of Change in the model. Two, it focuses on the binary aspect of the perspective comparing beginning to end. The Growth supplies the waveform.

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#4

Jim, I think you meant to say that for Resolve you prefer the term Changed over Change?

#5

Everyone else has talked about the others, but here’s my thoughts on George Bailey. George Bailey’s fundamental character trait is selflessness. Every dream he’s had, he was thwarted by selflessness–he jumped into a frozen lake to save his brother, he sacrificed his vacation to bring his neighbors out of insolvency, he sacrificed his happiness to keep his children happy at Christmastime. Even moments before his death, he was being selfless–he was throwing himself off the bridge so that his family collect his life insurance and live. Clarence doesn’t stop him to convince him to not be selfless, and George Bailey doesn’t become not-selfless. Rather, Clarence reminds him of the fruits of his selflessness: that having supported his fellow man, his fellow man will support him in his hour of need. And that’s exactly what they do. So again, notice that George Bailey doesn’t fundamentally change his nature of being selfless. Instead, he grows into his selflessness, as @jhull would put it, and accepts the help that his selflessness has earned him. (I think the wording of the scene, Clarence’s description of the problem as “wishing you’d never been born,” is wrongheaded and confuses the message.)

Marty McFly is similar. His story is more about giving his father the confidence he needs to be a mature adult; Marty’s own growth is a dividend of that. Likewise, Po never deviates from his fundamental desire to live up to his fantasies with the Furious Five; the only thing he changes is his capacity to meet that fantasy, rather than reduce his fantasy to meet his current capacity.

#6

Oh whoops! You’re right. I corrected it in the original post.