Character Sketch

To begin with, I should say that Richard Gordon is the main character of the story.
He plays the central role in the story, so we may call him a protagonist. He is a flat
character, because Richard Gordon has only several personal traits, but they are very
important for revealing the character of a medical student. And we see the exams
through his own eyes. He is a static, because he remains the same throughout the story.

So, the author uses indirect method of characterization, and we can learn something
about Richard Gordon only through his feelings. He is sensitive because he is always
worried about the exam and its results. To achieve desired effect in describing character
the author uses such similes. To prove this statement I propose to consider such
quotations as :“The days after the viva were black ones. It was like having a severe
accident”, “my palms were as wet as sponges”.

Then, the following parallel constructions help to reflect the excitement of the
protagonist during anticipation of his result: “The world stood still. The traffic stopped,
the plants ceased growing, men were paralysed, the clouds hung in the air, the winds
dropped, the tides disappeared, the sun halted in the sky.”

It is also necessary to point out such a feature of Richard Gordon's character as lack
of self-confidence . Such nominal ellipsis can prove it “Then I began to wonder if I
would ever make a recovery and win through”.

To sum up, I would like to say that despite the small number of character traits of the
protagonist, he is a true personification of students.

Sat