It is important to be clear about the difference between the Main Character and the Impact Character. The audience looks through the Main Character's eyes, and through them looks at the Impact Character. Through the Main Character, we feel what it is like to be in a particular predicament. With the Impact Character we see an external view of what someone else looks like in the same predicament. Since we cannot climb into and become this character, we can only judge him by how he affects the characters and events around him.

As an example, imagine a handicapped Main Character. During the duration of the story, the audience members also feel handicapped. They suffer the problems the Main Character's handicap creates as if it is a problem in their own lives. By contrast, if the Impact Character has a handicap, the audience would examine the problem from the outside, learning more about the difficulties logistically, not experientially. The focus would be on how this handicap impacts others. "Impact" is the key word to keep in mind when examining the story's problem in the Impact Character Throughline.

Situation as Impact Character Domain

An Impact Character with a Throughline of Situation will impact others because of his social status, race, gender, physical qualities, position or station. Whatever the situation might be, it provides the alternative paradigm to the Main Character's view of things.

Activity as Impact Character Domain

An Activity Impact Character is a person who acts in the areas of Learning, Understanding, Doing, or Obtaining (the four Activity Types). The Impact Character makes a case against the Main Character's point of view. At the end of such a story, the audience will not have experienced what it feels like to engage in these activities, but will know a lot about what impact these activities have.

Fixed Attitude as Impact Character Domain

The Fixed Attitude Impact Character displays a fixation or attitude dealing chiefly with memories, desires, immediate responses or considerations. It is this attitude that causes the Main Character to reconsider or justify his position.

Manipulation as Impact Character Domain

A Manipulation Impact Character influences others through direct manipulation or may just have an impact because of the way in which he thinks. In either case, the focus of this Throughline is an external view of how thought processes affect those whom interact with them.