Characters

The most important characters in the short story “The Christmas Tin” by Amanda Craig are Polly and Robbie. Other characters are briefly mentioned: the woman who sells tins for charity and Tania, Polly’s daughter.

Polly is the main character of the short story. She is characterised through the third-person narrator’s words and through her dialogue with her son, Robbie. The third-person narrator not only describes Polly and the events surrounding her, but also acts as a voice for Polly’s thoughts and feelings. Through this, we can observe Polly’s perception of herself. Polly is not a developing character, as there is no indication she changes by the end of the story.

Robbie is a secondary character and is Polly’s son. He is probably in early adolescence – although not specified, this is suggested throughout the story. His characterisation is realised through the narration and his dialogue with Polly.

You can read Polly and Robbie's characterisations in the next pages.

How to characterise

Before you set out to write your characterisation, we recommend that you also read Studienet's general guide for characterisations.