170 likes | 369 Views
Character Traits and Motivations. Mr. Solon English I August 30, 2011. What motivates you? Why are you the person you are?. Journal: 15 June 2010 Write 5 sentences for the following: (Due in 5 minutes).
E N D
Character Traits and Motivations Mr. Solon English I August 30, 2011
What motivates you? Why are you the person you are? Journal: 15 June 2010Write 5 sentences for the following:(Due in 5 minutes) Today's Class Objective: You will be able to analyze what motivates a character’s actions by making inferences.
Character Traits • Character traits are the physical and emotional descriptions of a character in a story. • Why does this matter?
Think about it… • We use character traits in real life! • Think about the process of electing someone to office. • A voter needs to learn as much as possible about a candidate as a person, not just their experience and positions on issues. • You may judge candidates by what they look like, what people say about them, or what they say.
In real life… • We have to make guesses about people sometimes. • We have to do the same thing with fiction, but we call them inferences. • Just like in real life, it is more revealing to observe how a person acts than to simply rely on what they say.
Physical Appearance • Descriptions of a character’s looks, clothing, body language, and facial expressions. • •What can you learn about a character based on the clothes he or she wears? • If the narrator says that a character is gorgeous, what other ideas might you have about this character? • What if the character is described as plain?
Speech, Thoughts, and Actions • Presentation of a character’s speech patterns, habits, talents, opinions, and interactions with others. • What conclusions can you draw about a character based on the way he or she talks? • What conclusions can you draw based on his or her opinions? • What conclusions can you draw based on how the character treats others?
Character Motivations • Motivations are the reasons behind an action. • To find a character’s motivation you must look at details in the story. – The narrator’s direct comments about a character’s motivation – A character’s actions, thoughts, or values – Your understanding of the emotions that drive human behavior
Think, Pair Share • 1) What motivates people to be politicians? • 2) What motivates people to be famous? • 3) What motivates people to work out?
Today's AssessmentComplete under your journal entry as soon as you're done reading “A Petrifying Quest” • 1) What was King Acrisius' motivation for imprisoning his own daughter? • 2) Why did King Acrisius send Danae and her son, Perseus, away? • 3) How does Perseus' motivation lead to him going to Medusa? • 4) Has Perseus' actions motivated your actions? What did you learn?