Main Character by Class

From 1993, and article about our early concepts in Dramatica:

Understanding the intrinsic nature of Main Characters by Class is much different than understanding a storyline by class. In storylines, Universe Class represents a situation, Mind Class a fixed attitude, Physics Class and activity, Psychology Class a manner of thinking. These four views describe two major sources of difficulties that will be created in the story: Internal or External. Both of these categories can be further divided into a state and a process. Mind Class is an internal state. Psychology Class an internal process. Universe is an external state, Physics an external process.

However, when we are considering a Main Character's Class, rather than that of a storyline, the categories are a bit different. Mind and Psychology still refer to the character's internal state and process, but Universe and Physics refer to her body.

From this perspective, a Physics Class Main Character is physically active, such as in Rambo, Flashdance, or Robin Hood. A Universe Class Main Character is one with a steady body state. We see this kind of character in the Elephant Man, My Left Foot, Ghost, or Dumbo.

A Universe Main Character is bombarded by pressures to succumb to the limitations of their body's attributes. Body limitations does not mean they have less ability for, as we see in Dumbo, there is plenty of ability to fly. The real issue is one of physical self worth, and the change/steadfast issue revolves around the decision to accept one's bodily limitations and cease trying to achieve a thing of difficulty or to continue to strive to overcome them.

Either decision can be correct, depending upon the author's point of view. For example, in Johnny Got His Gun, a young soldier wakes up to find he has lost his arms and legs and cannot move. He is utterly helpless. He ponders giving in to this terrible fate and drifting off into non-awareness. Ultimately he determines to hold on so that he might be able to help prevent future wars by showing the horror of what was done to him. He finds a way to communicate by blinking his eyes. After months of struggling to get through, he remains steadfast until a nurse catches on. He is then able to talk to the generals and express his wishes. They hob nob and decided that their positions would be threatened by his public appearance so the put his room off limits and leave him there to be cared for, but denied public visitation for the remainder of his life. This is a Universe Class Main Character, Steadfast, Success, Bad story.