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Characters

Characters. Memorable characters come alive for us while we read. They live on the page and in our hearts and minds. We cannot forget them. Yet they are fictional; they don’t really exist. When reading:.

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Characters

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  1. Characters Memorable characters come alive for us while we read. They live on the page and in our hearts and minds. We cannot forget them. Yet they are fictional; they don’t really exist.

  2. When reading: Be alert to characters in the same way you are when you meet someone. Observe their actions. Listen closely to what they say and how they say it. Notice how they relate to other characters and how other characters respond to them. Look for clues as to their purpose and significance in the story.

  3. Types of characters • Protagonist: the central character • Does not have to be a hero/positive character • Antihero – protagonist who lacks traditional heroic traits (courage, intelligence, ethics, kindness, etc.)

  4. Types of characters • Protagonist: the central character • Does not have to be a hero/positive character • Antihero – protagonist who lacks traditional heroic traits (courage, intelligence, ethics, kindness, etc.) • Antagonist: whatever opposing force the protagonist struggles with • Typically another character • Can be a setting or even something within the protagonist

  5. Notes on Characters • There are two main types of characters: static and dynamic.

  6. Types of characters • There are two main types of characters: static and dynamic. Static charactersremain the same throughout a story. Beginning = End

  7. Types of characters • There are two main types of characters: static and dynamic. Static charactersremain the same throughout a story. Beginning = End Dynamic characterschange throughout the story. Beginning --------------- End

  8. Characterization Notes • There are two main ways to characterize (describe, give insight into) characters: direct and indirect.

  9. Characterization Notes • There are two main ways to characterize (describe, give insight into) characters: direct and indirect. • Direct characterization– the writer makes direct statements about a character’s personality and what the character is like (TELLING) • Ex: Mark is a depressed and lonely man.

  10. Characterization Notes • Indirect characterization -  the writer reveals information about a character through that character's thoughts, words, and actions(SHOWING)

  11. Indirect Characterization Mark cracks open his red and swollen eyes. It’s two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. After lying still, staring at the ceiling for ten minutes, he drags himself from the bed and trudges into the kitchen, pushing his greasy uncut hair off of his forehead. Fruit flies dance on the pile of crusty dishes in the sink. He finds the last box of cereal in the pantry; he pours cereal and expired milk into the last clean bowl he has, and picks a speckled spoon out of the dingy muck coagulating at the bottom of the sink, wiping it on his once-white pajamas. He sits at the kitchen table, and looks past the vase of dead flowers to the place-setting across from him: empty bowl sitting on a blue plate, empty glass, plastic place mat decorated with magnolias. Untouched, folded napkin. Dust slowly collecting on all of it. Against the wall is a bookshelf; a photograph frame is face down on it. Next to the frame is a note in cursive handwriting; the paper seems to have been ripped to shreds, then painstakingly taped back together. Mark stares at these two items, then brings a spoonful of shredded wheat cereal to his mouth. As he chews on the bland, dense grains, his jaw quivers and his eyes sting. He always hated her choice in cereal.

  12. Indirect Characterization • Authors can give clues into a character’s personality and motivations through: • Physical traits • Attire (how they are dressed) • Actions • Opinions • Dialogue • How other characters respond to him/her

  13. Indirect Characterization • There are no limits to the types of characters who can inhabit a story: male/female, rich/poor, young/old, prince/pauper. What is important is that the characters in a story all have the same set of emotions as the reader: happiness, sorrow, disappointment, pain, joy, and love. • All characters have a motivation – a reason for acting the way they do, something that they yearn for. For the main character, this is often linked to the main “problem” of the story.

  14. Practice!

  15. Characterization • Direct: Delilah is a somewhat empty-headed, high maintenance girl obsessed with her looks. • Indirect: • Consider… • Physical traits • Actions • Opinions • Dialogue • Attire (how they are dressed) • Point of view

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