Habits as Characterization

We all have habits–and those habits, good or bad, define us in the eyes of others. The girl who is always late for work, the boy who never says “thank you”, the couple who drop in on their friends–and stay for hours–without ever extending an invitation to their house in return. We might assume, rightly or wrongly, that the late girl is lazy or irresponsible, that the boy is greedy or thoughtless, that the couple are cheap and selfish. If any one of these individuals acts contrary to the established pattern, we’re going to assume that some new element has been added to our story to prompt this abrupt change in habits. The girl starts turning up on time for work, because she wants to impress the new boss–and possible romantic interest. The boy cultivates some manners in the hope of securing a new bike from a visiting aunt. The couple begin to throw parties at the house they have just purchased.

The abrupt changes in habit can’t be defined as changes in character, because the girl, boy, and couple are still acting in ways that serve their self-interest. Once the girl has secured a date with her new boss, or discovered he isn’t interested, she may return to her old habit of turning up half an hour late. The boy will go back to putting up his feet on table and leaving mud prints on the carpet once Aunt Martha has returned him, even if she left him that bike in exchange for future good behavior. The couple may only be hosting parties to show off their new house.

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