Inanimate Characters

Characters are very important in stories. In fact they're vital. They affect the story in every way possible, even if the character isn't living. Non-living objects in stories should be considered characters since they can drive the plot, start or solve a conflict, and can be the focus of a story, just like a living character.

In the story, "The Monkeys Paw", a magical paw grants wishes to a family, but the wishes only end up causing trouble. The paw is an important character in many ways. For one thing in the beginning of the story the family asks the paw for money (200 pounds) but it results in the death of their son at his job. A man from where their son worked comes to their house and says, "He was caught in the machinery", explaining how the son died. The company at which the son worked gives the family 200 pounds for their loss. So, the paw has caused a conflict within the family. They realize that the paw is probably dangerous and they should stop making wishes on it. But also, the paw has now become the focus of the story. In another section of the story, after the son has died, the mother of the son misses him so badly that she wishes to the paw that her son returns. The father, in turn though, is horrified of the return of his son, knowing that the paw had already caused damage and not knowing what it could do now. In the story it says, "But her husband was on his hands and knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the paw. If he could only find it before the thing outside got in." By "thing" the author is referring to the son. Now the paw is an even bigger focus point of the story. The whole story revolves around the paw, the issues it starts, and what it's going to do next. So, the paw is also driving the plot along, pushing the story further. The paw is a huge part of this story.

In the story, "There Will Come Soft Rains", a huge robotic house is the main character. The story takes place in a futuristic world ridden by war and the house has no humans in it, but continues to functions performing its daily routines such as cooking breakfast. An example from the story is, "In the kitchen the breakfast stove gave a hissing sound and ejected from its warm interior eight pieces of perfectly browned toast, eight eggs sunny side up, sixteen slices of bacon, and two coffees." The house is the main focus of this story and symbolizes what is going on around it. It shows people that all the humans are gone since no ones in the house and no ones outside the house. In one part of the story the house recites a poem that alerts the reader to what is going on. It describes, basically, the whole background information for the story, and it seems almost ironic that the house would say that specific poem. This poem spoken by the house drives the plot and makes the reader wonder more. The house in, "There Will Come Soft Rains", and the paw in, "The Monkeys Paw", is related in a few ways. They both drive the plot with their actions. Such as the paw granting the wishes and only having them cause trouble and the house reciting the poem. Both characters are also the focus points of the stories. "The Monkeys Paw" circulates around the paw and the havoc it wreaks. While in, "There Will Come Soft Rains", the focus point of the story is the large robotic house, because of the actions it performs. But, the two are also different. The paw causes conflict with what it does, while the house doesn't cause conflict. These characters are very similar, yet different.

Inanimate objects can be characters. They drive the plot, start or solve a conflict, and can be the focus of the story, just like a living character. They're important to stories and should be considered a character even if they aren't living