In a new blog post, Steven Pressman examines how a minor character can be an important element of demonstrating the theme of your novel. As an example, Pressman argues that the character of Little Joe, the child character in the book and film Shane, serves multiple purposes in the story. While the narrative drive focuses on Shane’s other relationships, his connection to Little Joe gives the story its dramatic weight.
In both the book and film, Little Joe serves as the narrator and the viewer’s lens. This colors how the reader views Shane himself, since every interaction is described from a child’s viewpoint, and as such, a character who is minor to the plot becomes the most important character of the art.
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