Characters in a story serve multiple important functions, including:
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They reveal the setting: Characters often interact with their environment, which helps to establish where and when the story takes place.
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They help reveal the theme: Through their actions, choices, and experiences, characters can embody and illustrate the central ideas or messages of the story.
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They create the action: Characters drive the plot forward through their decisions, conflicts, and interactions with one another, which leads to the unfolding of events.
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They explain the plot: Characters can provide context and clarity about the storyline through their dialogue and reflections, helping readers understand what is happening and why.
Thus, characters play a crucial role in revealing both the setting and the theme, creating the action, and contributing to the overall plot of the story.