Character Clues
Character Analysis
Type of Being
The story behind the characters in the book is that they are based on real stuffed animals that the real Christopher Robin Milne played with. Milne had his cast of characters before he ever sat down to write. But the animals he had in front of him had great influence on the characters he created.
Take Eeyore. Donkeys naturally hang their heads a bit low, and they happen to be grey, so it's not a stretch to take the posture and the color and associate them with sadness. Remember how Bottom turns into a Donkey in A Midsummer Night's Dream? It's not uncommon in literature for asses to be the butt of a joke. Bears tend to amble, and thanks to hibernation we often think of them as sleepy or lazy. Voila! Pooh has a personality.
Actions
Milne shows us some characteristics through actions that his characters take—big and small. For instance, even though Piglet has a lot of words and thoughts that characterize him as a coward, his actions often show him to be much braver than we'd expect. Pooh shows himself to be a leader and a loyal friend by sailing off to help Piglet in rainstorm, as well as aiding Tigger in his quest for breakfast.
He also shows himself to be a little presumptuous by leaping into the flood in his own quest for honey, but that's endearing too.
Some characters have things that they "always" do, and when we see patterns of behavior we know that they're pretty important for that character. For example, Pooh always has a little snack at 11 a.m. If we could all be so lucky... Anyway, this small action also tells us a lot about his priorities and his attitude toward life. He's all about simple pleasures, and taking time to do what he likes. In this case, eating delicious stuff. Again, if we could all be so lucky...
Speech and Dialogue
Since these stories are heavy on dialogue, we learn a lot about each character by what others say about them. Take a look at how the characters discuss Tigger in the Poohsticks chapter (or check out our characterization of Tigger) to see some examples. This is kind of like direct characterization, but through the eyes of other characters.
For example, Rabbit goes to visit Owl when he decides to find out what Christopher Robin does in the mornings. "'If there is any thinking to be done in this Forest—and when I say thinking I mean thinking—you and I must do it.' / 'Yes,' said Owl. 'I was.'" (House.5.14-15.) This exchange demonstrates Rabbit's earnestness and Owl's pretentiousness all at the same time.
Thoughts and Opinions
Milne is certainly not afraid to expose the inner lives of his little animal characters. Piglet, for instance, does a great deal of thinking—too much thinking—and his little hamster-sprinting-on-a-wheel brain is a big part of his personality. In fact, he often needs to overcome his thoughts in order to take action.
All Milne's animals have opinions about themselves and about each other. Rabbit outlines the way he sees the dynamics of the Forest on his Important day: "'Christopher Robin depends on Me. He's fond of Pooh and Piglet and Eeyore, and so am I, but they haven't any Brain'" (House.5.4.). So Rabbit acts as if his defining characteristic is importance. People rely on him to follow through on things.
Direct Characterization
Direct characterization abounds in the Pooh Tales. Milne takes it to another level by repeating many of his characterizations as if they are titles, capital letters and all. Pooh is a "Bear of Very Little Brain." Piglet is a "Very Small Animal." Tigger is "Bouncy." Okay, you get the picture.
The audience reads (or hears) these phrases a lot, and the repetition has the effect of announcing some defining characteristics. But by using them so often, Milne also turns them into stereotypes. And stereotypes, like rules, walls and world donut-eating records, are meant to be broken. Think about it. Many of Piglet's actions are an effort to combat the bias of Very Small Animal, and Tigger's big character arc is that he's really tender and sweet in spite of the Bounciness that can seem intimidating to some of the other animals.