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In Character From Willy Loman to Fred Sanford, the Lone Ranger to Lassie: The great characters of American fiction, folklore and pop culture have both reflected and shaped the country's moods, fears, frailties, hopes and dreams. NPR explores these characters in a six-month series.
Special Series

In Character

A six-month series exploring the great characters of American fiction, folklore and pop culture.

Ramona Quimby: The Mischievous Girl Next Door

Ramona has been making trouble ever since the 1950s, when she first appeared in print. Now she's the focus of a new movie, Ramona and Beezus. In a revival of NPR's 'In Character' series, Elizabeth Blair takes a look at Beverly Cleary's most beloved creation.

Ramona Quimby: The Mischievous Girl Next Door

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Robert Jordan, Hemingway's Bipartisan Hero

Though fierce political opponents, John McCain and Barack Obama agree on a literary matter: Each picks Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, featuring the stoic freedom-fighter Robert Jordan, as a favorite.

Robert Jordan, Hemingway's Bipartisan Hero

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Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' Still Haunts Singers

Dolly Parton in London in 1977, four years after the release of "Jolene." Keystone/Getty Images hide caption

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Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' Still Haunts Singers

The singer's 1973 hit has been covered more than any of her other songs. She says it remains popular in part because of how universal it is: Everyone relates to the singer's sense of inadequacy.

Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' Still Haunts Singers

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Encounter With 'A Soldier's Story'

Army sergeant Vernon Waters from A Soldier's Story is a complicated character. He's a murderer. And he's obsessed with protecting the dignity — and future — of the African-American race.

Encounter With 'A Soldier's Story'

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Willie Stark Lives On

One of the best-known politicians of the 20th century was Willie Stark, the populist hero who rose to rule his state in All the King's Men. Stark has lived on in three stage plays, two movies, an opera and several required-reading lists.

Willie Stark Lives On

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Charlotte A. Cavatica: Bloodthirsty, Wise And True

She's a spider's spider — sophisticated, pretty (by her own account), authoritarian — and she says something profound about love and commitment. Melissa Block looks at the heroine of Charlotte's Web.

Charlotte A. Cavatica: Bloodthirsty, Wise And True

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Auntie Mame's Secret: The 'Loco' In Her Parentis

An eccentric, a free spirit and an unflaggingly open-minded heroine, Mame Dennis taught more than one protege — including NPR's Bob Mondello — how to open new windows without worrying about the view.

Auntie Mame's Secret: The 'Loco' In Her Parentis

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Why African-Americans Loathe 'Uncle Tom'

Folklorist Patricia Turner discusses "Uncle Tom" — the lead character in the anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe — as part of NPR's In Character series. The series examines the fictional characters who have defined American life.

Why African-Americans Loathe 'Uncle Tom'

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Henry Fleming, Reluctantly Wearing 'The Red Badge'

When Henry Fleming joins the Union Army, he's got big ideas of what glorious battles await him. He's eager to impress his friends and a brown-haired girl he likes. But soon he questions himself — and his courage.

Henry Fleming, Reluctantly Wearing 'The Red Badge'

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The Joker: Torn Between Goof And Evil

When the movie The Dark Knight opens Thursday, thousands of people will be haunted by the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker. Batman's arch-nemesis has not always been such a menacing, sadistic fellow, however.

The Joker: Torn Between Goof And Evil

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Reduced Shakespeare Analyzes NPR's 'Character'

The Reduced Shakespeare Company prides itself on reducing Shakespeare to "short, sharp comedies." The three-man comedy troupe has applied its talents to the NPR series In Character, finding a Pandora's box within NPR's own halls.

Reduced Shakespeare Analyzes NPR's 'Character'

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Norman Bates: A Most Terrifying Mama's Boy

He was like the boy next door — if the boy next door never left his house and took up taxidermy as a hobby. For millions, Psycho's soft-spoken innkeeper made showering a dreaded experience.

Norman Bates: A Most Terrifying Mama's Boy

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'King Kong': The Eighth Wonder of the World

In 1932, director Merian Cooper approached Fay Wray about playing a lead role in a new movie he was planning — King Kong. But when Cooper first proposed the film in 1931, not everyone thought it was a good idea.

'King Kong': The Eighth Wonder of the World

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Nancy Drew: Curious, Independent and Usually Right

She was born in 1930, but she's perpetually 18 — and always one step ahead of the adults. For NPR's In Character series, Renee Montagne delivers the scoop on the iconic American girl sleuth: Nancy Drew.

Nancy Drew: Curious, Independent and Usually Right

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Jo March, Everyone's Favorite Little Woman
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Jo March, Everyone's Favorite Little Woman

The strong-willed second oldest sister of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, has inspired generations of femal--fans with her independence and pluck. But does she set too lofty an ideal?

Jo March, Everyone's Favorite Little Woman

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Mr. Spock: The 'Mystery of Masculinity' Embodied

When Gene Roddenberry was putting Star Trek together, NBC execs had some advice: "Lose the Martian." We all know how that turned out: Mr. Spock (a Vulcan) ranks among the most fascinating characters in TV history.

Mr. Spock: The 'Mystery of Masculinity' Embodied

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Narcissism Part of Carrie's 'City' Charm

Is Carrie Bradshaw, the main character in Sex and the City, a narcissist? Many — including Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays her — would say "yes" without flinching. As part of our "In Character" series, NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, self-absorption is part of Carrie Bradshaw's charm.

Narcissism Part of Carrie's 'City' Charm

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The Dude: A Little Lebowski, Alive in All of Us

His given name is Jeffrey Lebowski — but the stoner hero of The Big Lebowski prefers to be called the Dude. As Guy Raz discovers, he's part fiction, part reality. But there's a little Dude in each of us.

The Dude: A Little Lebowski, Alive in All of Us

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Vampire Slayer Buffy Saves Iraq Reporter's Soul

Buffy the Vampire Slayer saved the world and the sanity of NPR's Jamie Tarabay while she was in Baghdad. Tarabay explores why she needed the slayer during her time in Iraq.

Vampire Slayer Buffy Saves Iraq Reporter's Soul

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Ricky Ricardo: The 'Mr. Babalu' Next Door

In the 1950s, the man who loved Lucy helped introduce mainstream America to a slice of Latin culture. He was based on Desi Arnaz — yet Arnaz was hardly just playing himself. Felix Contreras has a musical portrait of the fictional Cuban-American bandleader.

Ricky Ricardo: The 'Mr. Babalu' Next Door

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Troy Maxson: Heart, Heartbreak as Big as the World

He's the protagonist — you can't quite say "hero," unless you add "tragic" in front — of August Wilson's play Fences. James Earl Jones, who first played the part, helps explain why he's unforgettable.

Troy Maxson: Heart, Heartbreak as Big as the World

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