Type

the standard against which the Obstacle Character's concern is measured

The way of telling how much the Obstacle Character is dealing with the issues at stake for him in the story is by choosing an item in the story and using it as a measuring stick. This can be subtle or obvious, illustrated perhaps by the number of empty beer cans next to an alcoholic's bed, the severity of a facial tick, or the amount of perfume a character puts on. How ever it is illustrated, it needs to be there to give both the audience and the Obstacle Character some way of judging how deep his concern is and how far along in the story he is.