Close complex character analysis

So, I didn’t go to the Fatham play although I wish I did so I could write about what all the seniors were talking about (excluding the inappropriate jokes I totally didn’t miss out on). But I do want to talk about the importance of close, complex character analysis. Every single story has a deeper meaning behind it, and we as humans tend to miss those small details. I, myself, overlook the complexity of most things because it’s usually “not that deep,” but in reality, it is. For example, the boy learning how to swim was a prime example of this. What’s so deep about that (excluding the water)? The camera angle, the music, his facial expressions, his surroundings, his clothes, his movement—on and on. People say the small details count the most because they make up the whole. I couldn’t agree with this more.

In my book club book, Homegoing, there are so many plots going on. It’s not just a storyline with one protagonist, one side character, and one ending. In this book, we get viewpoints from every single character, important or not. I don’t know about anyone else, but for me, this was so hard to keep up with. When I finally thought I was getting to know a character, the next chapter would switch to a whole new person and their storyline. But that’s exactly why close character analysis matters. Each character adds a piece to the puzzle of history. Homegoing isn’t just telling individual stories, it’s telling the story of people across generations. By diving deep into each character’s experiences, we see how historical events like colonization, the Great Migration, and the transatlantic slave trade didn’t just shape societies—they shaped individual lives, identities, and futures.

The deeper I look, the more I realize that every switch of perspective gave me a new lens to see the same history from different angles. And that's what makes Homegoing so special: you see how history is not just something that happens, but something that is lived, felt, and passed on. Close, complex character analysis allows us to see how interconnected everything is, making history feel personal and unique. It forces us to reflect on how even in our own lives, the details we think don’t matter often end up shaping the bigger picture.

For example, take Quey in Homegoing. The pressures of the British colonial system, which profits from the very slave trade he is born into, and the traditional expectations of his Ghanaian family are at conflict with one other. When looked at more closely, Quey's internal battle comes out, while at first glance he looks to be simply another character trying to find his place in a divided society. Quey is more than just a passive character; he represents the concepts of cultural displacement and the questionable ethics of individuals who both benefited from and were exploited. The complex process of identity development in a colonial society is shown in his conflict between his personal loyalty to his family and the needs of the colonial economy. His decisions are not clear-cut, and a closer look at his personality reveals the psychological toll that slavery and colonization have on people as a whole as well as on societies.

Along with literature, it's important to see complex stories in life with an open mind and a close eye. We find many levels of meaning that are often overlooked when we take the time to consider the complexities of both our own and other people's lives. Through in-depth analysis, we can better comprehend the complexity of human motivations, emotions, and behavior, leading to a deeper awareness of both the self and the outside world. Adopting this viewpoint tells us that every detail adds to the greater story that we are all part of, which allows us to engage with the complexity of life as a whole.