CHARACTERIZATION CATBIRD SEAT Essay, Research Paper
From one?s first nursery rhyme book to one?s later fictional novel, it is quite easy
to say that everyone has come across many characters among their years. Some vivid or round, and some bland or flat. Characters depict different qualities and traits within their story line, like Mr. Martin, in the short story, ?The Catbird Seat.? Mr. Martin is a prime example of a round character, in which his physical, personal, and psychological attributes are described in great depth.
Physically Mr. Martin was described with green eyes, which would suggest that he was a Caucasian man. There are other aspects that one can assume, like he may be a solid man instead of puny, since he drank milk everyday, but that is more of a personal attribute. In addition to Mr. Martin?s personal attributes, he was described as a 35 year old man who never drank or smoked. The author of the story, James Thurber, wrote, ?The head of the filing department, neat, quiet, attentive?? Because of Mr. Martin?s quit and attentive attitude, one may find it difficult to suspect him of doing any type of wrong doing. All of his coworkers looked upon him as a perfect individual, never falling under the category of fallible. Mrs. Barrows also found it hard to believe, she quoted, ?If you weren?t such a drab, ordinary little man, I?d think you planned it all.?
The most vivid quality Mr. Martin depicts within the story is his psychological attributes. Mr. Martin had a head for dates when reviewing past events, which would suggest that he was quite organized. Another trait that may suggest that he was organized is how he followed a daily routine. The author follows many of his tasks with ?as always? or ?as usual?, to show the reader how organized Mr. Martin was. ?He got there, as he always did, at eight o?clock. He finished his dinner and the financial page of the Sun at a quarter to nine, as he always did.? Psychologically Mr. Martin had a vivid imagination. After thinking about getting a blue memo from his boss for his termination from his job, he stood up and imagined himself within a courtroom, demanding the death penalty to Mrs. Barrows. His imagination also wandered when he was thinking about killing Mrs. Barrows. After killing Mrs. Barrows, he wanted to take a few puffs of his cigarette, as if he were a gangster in a movie. On the contrary, many people would have not been able to compose their selves like Mr. Martin. He kept his composure though out the story. For instance, when he first met Mrs. Barrows, the author wrote, ?The woman had appalled Mr. Martin instantly, but he hadn?t shown it. He had given her his dry hand, a look of studious concentration, and a faint smile.? He could have easily cussed her out after all the sarcastic remarks Mrs. Barrows directed at him week after week, but he maintained a positive attitude toward her.
In conclusion, the attitude of Mr. Martin?s character played a vital role in his innocence. It is not hard to see that Mr. Martin knew he had nothing to worry about due to the fact that everyone knew what type of person he was. If he would have got hostile with Mrs. Barrows or any other coworkers, or if he had a habit of drinking, they would have looked at him in another light.