I'm trying to find a novel, short story or novella, in which a character performs a one-time action, an action that is surprising and helps the reader understand the character better, ( like Meursault's murder of the Arab in Camus's The Stranger) and if possible also one in which the character performs habitual actions (repeatedly and consistently to signify a certain trait, like Eveline's dusting in James Joyce's short story.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks!