--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Characters work really well when they're…" description: "\"Characters work really well when they're reflective of the times that they're operating in.\" — Brian Azzarello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/brian-azzarello-8844_character_characters-work-really-well-when-they-re_610078.jpg" --- # Characters work really well when they're reflective of the… ![“Characters work really well when they're reflective of the times that they're operating in.” quote by Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/brian-azzarello-8844_character_characters-work-really-well-when-they-re_610078.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/brian-azzarello-8844_character_characters-work-really-well-when-they-re_610078.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/brian-azzarello-8844_character_characters-work-really-well-when-they-re_610078.jpg) > “Characters work really well when they're reflective of the times that they're operating in.” [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Storytelling reflects contemporary society, making characters relatable to their era. **In simple terms:** Characters mirror their times. Key Takeaway Use context to shape narratives. Themes culture history character development Mood analytical observational Type literary critical When to use this quote - screenwriting - novel writing - historical analysis Key Concepts social commentary period realism media studies Questions to Reflect On - How do current events shape your characters? - What timeless traits persist across eras? A Different Perspective Risk of dating the work to a specific era. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-work-538913/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Really Reflective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-reflective-543716/) [Reflective Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflective-times-543714/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-really-289424/) ## Related quotes > [I just like to be in the now. And kind of reporting on what it is that I see, feel and that's really reflective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-lyte/i-just-like-to-be-in-the-now-and-kind-of-reporting-on-what-it-is-that/) [MC Lyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-lyte/) > [I'm influenced a lot by Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, even Paul Weller - Billie Holiday as well: People who wrote and sang songs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hozier/i-m-influenced-a-lot-by-nina-simone-stevie-wonder-even-paul-weller/) [Hozier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hozier/) > [Characters work really well when they're reflective of the times that they're operating in. To keep these characters static - like Superman was invented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/characters-work-really-well-when-they-re-reflective-of-the-times-that-2/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [The most fun characters to work with are characters that are complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/the-most-fun-characters-to-work-with-are-characters-that-are/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [“I was recently cautioned about some 'difficult' characters in a work-in-progress, and I was surprised at first to hear them labeled as such. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-was-recently-cautioned-about-some-difficult-characters-in-a-work-in/) [Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/) > [That's the great thing about a series: you're driving to work, and you have an idea for a story for your characters, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-brooks/that-s-the-great-thing-about-a-series-you-re-driving-to-work-and-you/) [James L. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-brooks/) > [I love working with male actors, and I think there's a tendency to write really interesting characters that would work solely alongside men where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-moss/i-love-working-with-male-actors-and-i-think-there-s-a-tendency-to/) [Elisabeth Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-moss/) > [I do need to find inner tranquillity and get into a "zone" before I switch on the computer to work on a story. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-adhiambo-owuor/i-do-need-to-find-inner-tranquillity-and-get-into-a-zone-before-i/) [Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-adhiambo-owuor/) > [I'm really enjoying myself. The things that they've allowed me to do, and the different characters that I get to work with, it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-durance/i-m-really-enjoying-myself-the-things-that-they-ve-allowed-me-to-do/) [Erica Durance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-durance/) > [Sometimes, I have themes that interest me or that touch on larger issues but, really, I'm just trying to figure out the plot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/sometimes-i-have-themes-that-interest-me-or-that-touch-on-larger/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [You start to fall in love with characters as you work with them, and anytime that you care about your characters and you realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/you-start-to-fall-in-love-with-characters-as-you-work-with-them-and/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [In that daily effort in which intelligence and passion mingle and delight each other, the absurd man discovers a discipline that will make up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/in-that-daily-effort-in-which-intelligence-and-passion-mingle-and/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [ Melissa \[ Rosenberg\] really has mastered coming from character. Everything radiates from the characters in this work. You don't feel like anything's imposed. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/melissa-rosenberg-really-has-mastered-coming-from-character/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [The way I write is really like putting one foot in front of the other. I really let the characters do most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/the-way-i-write-is-really-like-putting-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [Men and women are both humans, so, for me, that makes my characters and the work that I do human stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-moss/men-and-women-are-both-humans-so-for-me-that-makes-my-characters-and/) [Elisabeth Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-moss/) ## More by Brian Azzarello > [“Passive...Aggressive...Pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/passive-aggressive-pussy/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [Nobody's angry all the time, unless you're a psycho.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/nobody-s-angry-all-the-time-unless-you-re-a-psycho/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [It's depicted in comics as, like, this gung-ho, 'Let's die in battle, in glory' idea, because that's just the genre we're in. But that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/it-s-depicted-in-comics-as-like-this-gung-ho-let-s-die-in-battle-in/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [“I once saw a dead man. Actually, i've seen many dead men. Too many for most. But this one, i've carried with me. Was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/i-once-saw-a-dead-man-actually-i-ve-seen-many-dead-men-too-many-for/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [Good people struggle against what's imperfect about them. The people that we call 'bad' people embrace that kind of stuff, embrace the darker side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/good-people-struggle-against-what-s-imperfect-about-them-the-people/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [Characters with questionable morals are sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/characters-with-questionable-morals-are-sexy/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [To ground a character in reality, you have to use shades of gray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/to-ground-a-character-in-reality-you-have-to-use-shades-of-gray/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [I think the Joker resonates with people as much as Batman does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/i-think-the-joker-resonates-with-people-as-much-as-batman-does/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [I'm happy with the way '100 Bullets' ends terribly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/i-m-happy-with-the-way-100-bullets-ends-terribly/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [We finished 'Spaceman,' and before we were even done with that, we had already been talking about what we were going to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/we-finished-spaceman-and-before-we-were-even-done-with-that-we-had/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [I like everything that is wrong about Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/i-like-everything-that-is-wrong-about-chicago/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [I didn't really like superheroes. I liked monsters and war comics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/i-didn-t-really-like-superheroes-i-liked-monsters-and-war-comics/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [Man, I think mistakes - that's what makes us distinct human beings. Those imperfections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/man-i-think-mistakes-that-s-what-makes-us-distinct-human-beings-those/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [I like alleys. They are the backdoor to everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/i-like-alleys-they-are-the-backdoor-to-everything/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [Like, why is Batman so relevant? It's because he gets reinvented constantly. There are a lot of stories you can tell with that character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/like-why-is-batman-so-relevant-it-s-because-he-gets-reinvented/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) [Explore all 77 Brian Azzarello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Characters work really well when they're reflective of the times that they're operating in.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian Azzarello" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/characters-work-really-well-when-they-re-reflective-of-the-times-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/characters-work-really-well-when-they-re-reflective-of-the-times-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/brian-azzarello-8844_character_characters-work-really-well-when-they-re_610078.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/brian-azzarello-8844_character_characters-work-really-well-when-they-re_610078.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4a/brian-azzarello-8844_character_characters-work-really-well-when-they-re_610078.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Characters work really well when they're reflective of the times that they're operating in.” — Brian Azzarello", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brian Azzarello", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Characters work really well when they're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/characters-work-really-well-when-they-re-reflective-of-the-times-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/characters-work-really-well-when-they-re-reflective-of-the-times-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```