The document discusses characters in stories, distinguishing between major and minor characters. Major characters appear throughout the story and are involved in important actions and conflicts. Minor characters enter the story for a specific reason and may not be mentioned again, or they exist to provide context about a major character through conflict. It then provides examples of major and minor characters from Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations, identifying Pip as the major character who is the narrator and central figure, and the escaped convict as a minor character involved in a pivotal conflict with Pip.