The authors created these characters in the short stories to undergo changes, which helps them get through difficult events. Character development in stories is important because it shows the changes and events that help shape and create the main characters in the story. Both authors shape the characters through contrasting events, moving the characters from a static to a dynamic character by the end of the story. The authors combine the past with the present to create a twist on the future of the main characters. “Soldier's Home,” by Ernest Hemingway, and “Battle Royal,” by Ralph Ellison, are both fictional short stories sharing a common literary feature of character development, influenced by the other characters and events in the story. stories, authors create an individual perception and description of the characters' journey in the text. Ellison introduces the main character of “Battle Royal” through the narration of the character himself. The main character says: “All my life I was looking for something and everywhere I turned, someone was trying to tell me what it was. I also accepted their answers, although they were often contradictory and even contradictory. I was naive. I was searching for myself and asking everyone but me questions that I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and a painful boomerang of expectations to come to a realization that everyone seems to be born with: that I am no one but myself. (Page 180, paragraph 1, ll 2-7). He presents himself as someone who had a hard time finding who he really is, so he looked to others for the answer, making him naive. There may have been times where the answer...... middle of paper...... influences factors and events, helping them develop their character towards the end of the story. Works Cited Baerdemaeker, Ruben De. "Performative Models in Hemingway's 'Soldier's House'." Hemingway Review 27.1 (Fall 2007): 55-73. Rep. in News Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Flight. 117. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Information Resource Center. Internet. March 12, 2014. Brent, Liz. “Critical essay on “The Invisible Man; or "Battle Royal." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 11. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Library Resource Center. Internet. March 12, 2014. Ellison, Ralph. "Battle Royal." Literature to take away - Second edition. Michel Meyer. Boston-New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 180-189. Print. Michael Meyer. Boston- New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2014. 133- 138. Print.