“Thank You M’am” pg 120

1. “Thank You M’am” pg 120 • People in life and in fiction tend to show their true character when they are in stressful situations. In this story, two characters have a tense encounter. The writer lets their actions and their words (or their silences) tell us about the kind of people they are – or could be.

2. Character – The Actors in the Story • Character – An individual in a story, poem or play. Always has human traits, even if the character is an animal.

3. Characterization– Ways to develop characters • Writers portray the personalities of characters through a variety of methods. • Direct Characterization – The author directly describes the character’s traits or special qualities. • “Bob is a very happy person.”

4. Indirect Characterization • Indirect Characterization – The author indirectly describes the character’s traits or special qualities, through: • Appearance • Actions • Speech • Thoughts • How people respond to the character. • With this method, a writer shows rather than tells the reader what the character is like.

5. Types of Characters • Flat Characters • Round Characters

6. Flat • A flat character has no depth. Such a character has one or two key personality traits and can be described in a single sentence.

7. Round • A round character is fleshed out. He or she is more complex and have depth. Flat and round characters are both used in literature.

8. “Thank You M’am” -Assignment • Answer questions 1,2,4,5, and 6. • Write a newspaper article about the events from the story. • Must be at least one page long. • Include at least two quotes from fake interviews. • Have a catchy headline • Include the five W’s (What, who, when, where and why.)