Focus on CHARACTERIZATION Elements of Fiction Focus on CHARACTERIZATION

Identify the Characters Enhancing Your Understanding 1 Identify the Characters 2 Focus on Development 3 Discover Their Purpose There is no story without a character.

Identify The Character 1 Identify The Character Who and What

Major Categories of Characters The Protagonist It’s WHO the story is all about. Usually good, but NOT always. The Antagonist It’s WHO is AGAINST the Protagonist. Usually bad, but NOT always.

The ROLES They Play Major Minor

Round vs. Flat Change in belief, action, etc. Events cause realization Starts out one way NO change in belief, action, etc. Events have no effect Starts out one way

2 Focus On Development Discovering the Character

It’s not just about the telling a story, it’s about SHOWING IT

Direct Characterization …And I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I’m a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky. From “Raymond’s Run” by T. Bambara

Indirect Characterization The old man bowed to all of us in the room. Then he removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully. Chaplin once did that in a picture, in a bank--he was the janitor. From “Gentleman of Rio en Medio” by J. Sedillo

Saying it without saying it “From Ernest Hemingway's stories, I learned to listen within my stories for what went unsaid by my characters.” Nadine Gordimer

How the character speaks

What the character thinks

How the character acts

How the character reacts

How others react to the character

What others say about the character

Discover Their Purpose 3 Discover Their Purpose Why bother with characters at all?

MOTIVATION “Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.” Les Brown

RELATIONSHIPS “Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” Tennessee Williams

CONFLICT “I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.” Oprah Winfrey

Chapters 1-4 Vocabulary perplexed Definition: Sentence: Name three different situations that would make you feel perplexed.

consent covet condescend prodigious definition: sentence: For what might a parent have to give consent for their children to do? covet What are three things that a teacher might covet? condescend If you were to meet the President, what remark could you say that would be condescending? prodigious What materialistic items would you wish to be prodigious?