Student Question

Is Diana Moon Glampers in "Harrison Bergeron" a flat or round character?

Quick answer:

Diana Moon Glampers in "Harrison Bergeron" is a flat character. She remains undeveloped and two-dimensional throughout the story, embodying the oppressive force of government control without experiencing any change. Her role is crucial in illustrating the theme of inequality and corruption in a communistic society, but she lacks the depth and complexity of a round character. Her actions are consistent with the enforcement of the laws, highlighting her static nature.

Expert Answers

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I agree with my colleagues that Diana Moon Glampers is a flat character.

By definition, flat characters are less developed, often two-dimensional, and sketchy at best.

Nonetheless, these characters are still important to many works of literature. In Harrison Bergeron, Diana Moon Glampers exemplifies the evils of government control. While she looks average (much like Harrison's mother, Hazel), she is far from equal to the other citizens in the story. She, in fact, has power over everyone. Her character is in the story to show the inequality and corruption of a communistic society. So, while she is flat, she is definitely important to the story.

I located a site that has a pretty good chart (along with some other information) about round, flat, static, and dynamic characters that may be of some help to you.

Remember:

Round Characters are more fully developed

Flat Characters are undeveloped and two-dimensional

Dynamic...

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Characters undergo change over the course of the story

Static Characters do not change.

Therefore, a flat character will likely NEVER be a dynamic character; since they are only the sketch of a character, they are never developed enough to undergo a major change of heart or experience growth like a round character can.

Interestingly, in many fairy tales and in some very short stories, there are NO round characters. ALL of the characters may be stereotypes with no real development other than their symbolic significance.

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Diana Moon Glampers, the handicapper general, is a flat character. If she were round, the outcome of the story would have been totally changed because she would have likely had a change of heart, she would have relaxed the laws or else taken pity on Harrison and spared him his life. To the contrary, Diana undergoes no change throughout the story. She decrees the law, she enforces it, and when Harrison does not follow through, she executes him and the ballerina. There can really be no argument to the contrary here; Diana is flat.

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