Character Development

~ Shauwa, A Policeman ~

Name: Shauwa (A female name in most countries)

Job Role: A Policeman

A person who is responsible for protecting people and
property, making people obey the law, finding out about
and solving crime, and catching people who have
committed a crime.

The Police Force as far as known did not exist until the 19th
century. Instead, policing was carried out by localised, employed
watchmen, constables and magistrates. Female police, through
record, started being employed from 1919.

Currently in Asia many Law Enforcers are within a community

entitled The National Asian Peace Officers Association (NAPOA)
which serves as the voice of over 3,000 Asian, American and
Pacific Islanders Officers. The NAPOA help promote diversity
within the law enforcement community.

Character Development:

Through this research I understand that the Asian police force can
come across more peaceful than some of the more stereotypical
police like in countries in the UK or USA. If this is something
that was also enforced back in the 1800s then that would explain
why Shauwa is very peaceful towards people like Azdak who she
needs to arrest. However this could also be perceived as something
that has developed through the years which can allow me to use my
imagination slightly to include the character into the movement of
the police force. This gives me a better understanding to how the
Asian Police system treats the public and how they are trying to
make the world better, which is something I can add in for Shauwa
as being one of her goals.

From also understanding that female police were not a thing in the
1800s this also gives me reason for Shauwa to be disguised as a
male, and the name itself, being a female name, pushes that whole
idea forward. If law enforcers were also people who employed as
more watchmen type people, I can understand how Shauwa can easily
disguise herself as a policeman if she didnt necessarily have
anybody within the police force watching over her constantly.

Although the character is given a goal, by myself, to greater her

position in power to allow change, this is something not clearly
shown in the play. I had to use a different way of showing
development to the character by having a character arc. A
character arc is often used to show the developing change in your
characters, so in the beginning, Shauwa is quiet shy, timid and
afraid, especially around Ironshirts and shes defiantly niave
when it comes to Azdaks stories he tells her.

Towards the end of the play, Ive suggested for Shauwa to actually
fight with an Ironshirt and be brave enough to stand up to people.
Her change becomes more clear as, previously in the Charlie
Chaplin Movie Sequence shes running away from the Ironshirts,
but when she sees Azdak in grave danger she plucks up the courage
to fight back from the Ironshirts.

As far as the physicality for the character develops, at the

beginning when shes talking to Azdak, as shes a fairly shy and
naive person, I keep her head down and her shoulders up to convey
the idea of nervousness. I also use her chest as a way to convey
her type of power, however through the play (mainly during her and
Azdaks dialogue) her position continues to change. This is to
show how her confidence constantly switches from being bold with
Azdak and shy with him. This is also something that happens within
the Silent Movie Sequence where her shoulders are up when shes
near the Ironshirts but the chest reappears as her and Azdak
escape them to convey the idea shes confident theyve made their
escape.

References:
- www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-
guides/officer-in-police-force/
- www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/18/524556485/on-
police-treatment-asian-americans-show-ethnic-generational-
splits
- www.Napoablue.org