Tools of Characterization

Characterization in The Hurt Locker

Actions

Will constantly acts cool, calm, and even maybe a little amused by what's happening around him, even though he's in a war zone. We're not sure exactly what's behind his attitude—maybe it's denial, or maybe he's a sociopath—but Will's refusal to get ruffled or panicked tells us he's an extremely unique individual.

Of course, the fact that he often insists on pursuing the most dangerous tactics, even when they don't make a whole lot of sense (well, to anyone but him), indicates that sometimes his decisions are more about playing cowboy than doing what's best for his team or the mission. We see that for sure when he leads the team in pursuit of a bomber, even though that should be the task of the infantry men who are coming in behind them. The rash decision gets Eldridge briefly kidnapped and then shot. By Will.

In short: Will's actions show us that he is a brave but kind of thoughtless guy.

Dialogue

The way the characters talk to and about each other tells us quite a bit about who they are. We know, you're shocked.

In a not-so-nice example, we learn that Eldridge and Sanborn are pretty prejudiced against the local population when they talk about whether Beckham, a local boy, is the same kid who's been used for a body bomb:

ELDRIDGE: You think it's that little base rat?

SANBORN: No, I don't.

ELDRIDGE: You positive?

SANBORN: Sure. Hey, I don't know, man. They all look the same, right?

ELDRIDGE: I don't know. Will seemed sure. That was weird.

SANBORN: Very weird.

Calling Beckham a "base rat" is super uncool, as is suggesting that, hey, it totally doesn't matter whether it's him or not, right? Since they all look alike? This dialogue does not cast the best light on either soldier.

Direct Characterization

As we've already mentioned, Will comes off as a bit of a thrill junkie—and we aren't the only ones who noticed. In one scene, Colonel Reed makes a point of telling Will how ah-mazing he thinks he is:

COLONEL: You the guy in the flaming car, Sergeant James?

WILL: Afternoon, sir. Uh, yes, sir.

COLONEL: Well, that's just hot s***. You're a wild man, you know that? He's a wild man, you know that? I want to shake your hand.

WILL: Thank you, sir.

So there you have it. If Colonel Reed thinks it, it must be true, right? Of course, this is the guy who has the soldiers kill a wounded Iraqi man who would have otherwise survived, so maybe we can't totally trust his judgment. But still.

Family Life

Let's get real for a second: Will may get good results at work most of the time, but he's kind of a dud at home. He looks more out of sorts—panicked, even—in the cereal aisle at his local supermarket than he ever did on the battlefield, probably because it's really boring shopping for food when you compare it to, say, dodging bullets or dismantling IEDs.

Then, we see Will telling his toddler son that he loves one thing in the world...and that one thing turns out to be disarming bombs, not his son or his wife—you know, the kind of stuff you'd expect to make the short list.

We think it's super admirable that Will is so committed to helping prevent soldier deaths, but it's clear that he's become so accustomed—or addicted—to the war zone that he can't even enjoy his family or feel normal stuff for them. And that's pretty sad to see.