Book club member told me my character analysis was 'too surface level'

I brought up Katniss in Hunger Games as just a strong survivor. Someone said I missed the whole trauma angle and how she's actually broken inside. Does deep diving into character psychology actually make discussions better or just slower?

2 comments

2 Comments

patp792d ago

Man, it's just a book... not everything needs a therapist's couch.

sageallen2d ago

Hang on, don't just shrug it off. I've been in your exact shoes and here's what helped me. Next time someone says your analysis is too surface level, ask them directly what they think is below the surface. It puts the ball in their court and makes them explain their point instead of just criticizing. But honestly, deep dives can be fun if you keep it simple. You don't need to write a psychology paper, just ask "what makes this character tick" and go from there. I've found that saying something like "I see her as a survivor, but yeah it's weird how she shuts down around Peeta, wondering what that's about" can spark a better talk without making it a chore. The key is to meet in the middle, you don't have to be a therapist but a little digging can make the whole book more interesting for everyone.