Literary Elements

Bellringer (11/28/11) Welcome back! Have your library book on your desk.

Character character – person, animal, or other creature in a story.

Character protagonist – the main character or hero of a story. antagonist – the person standing in the way of the protagonist or villain

Character anti-hero – a protagonist that does not have the moral values or personality traits of a typical hero.

Character characterization – the process writers use to describe characters

Characterization round (dynamic) characters – interesting, complex, fully developed, growing flat (static) characters – simple, undeveloped or stereotypical

Flat vs. Round Characters List character traits for a heroic warrior. List character traits for an evil ogre.

Round Character

Characterization Direct characterization – when an author tells you directly about the character’s personality The patient boy and the quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.

Characterization Indirect characterization – when an author reveals a character’s personality through his or her actions or dialogue can use Speech, Thoughts, Effects on others, Actions, and Looks (STEAL) “That Ed Johnson,” said Anderson, watching the old mechanic scratch his head in confusion as the sales rep explained Dralco’s newest engine performance diagnostic computer. “He hasn’t got a clue about modern electronics. Give him a good set of tools and a stack of yellowing manuals with a carburetor needing repair, and he’d be happy as a hungry frog in a fly-field.”

Characterization Use the STEAL method to identify indirect characteristics of the people in the photographs

Assignment Read “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes and think about how the author uses indirect characterization to describe Roger and Ms. Jones. Draw a STEAL chart and identify indirect characteristics from the story that describe Roger.

Characterization Assignment 1. Choose two stock characters from the list below and list their common traits in two columns. shushing old librarian bully jock bookish nerd ditzy prom queen wicked witch lying politician the “bad boy” celebrity the angelic child 2. Now draw an arrow from one column to the other, swapping the traits to make the characters rounded. 3. Complete a STEAL chart for one of the characters. 4. Write a short scene where the two characters meet for lunch. Use indirect characterization to help the reader learn who the characters are. *YOU MAY NOT USE DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION TO TELL ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS. 5. Trade papers. Draw a STEAL chart and identify the indirect characterization for one of your classmate’s main characters.

What this tells us about the character Character #1’s Name Indirect Characterization Example from the story What this tells us about the character Speech Thought Effect on others Action Look

plot – the sequence of events in a story (what happens) Chronological order Flashback In addition, you can note that some stories follow a circular or episodic plot, and hypertextual stories can be different every time they’re read, as the reader chooses the direction that the story takes. If a story that students are working on does not fit into the triangle structure, think about why the author would choose a different story structure and how the structure has changed. In the middle of things

Plot exposition – background information at the beginning of a story character setting – the time and place of a story

Plot rising action – introduces and increases the major conflict in the story conflict – the problem the main character faces internal – within the character external – forces outside the character

Plot climax – turning point of a story will the character turn back or continue on?

Plot falling action – events or action that occurs after the climax

Plot resolution – the point at which the conflict is resolved

Other Plot Elements suspense – uncertainty that makes the reader want to know more foreshadowing – clues left by the author about what will happen later dramatic irony – when the reader knows something important that the character doesn’t theme – the message/lesson of a story or poem.

Literary Elements Quiz theme foreshadowing flashback conflict internal external rising action suspense Resolution Character Protagonist Antagonist characterization direct indirect plot dramatic irony climax exposition setting falling action point of view

Point of View point of view – the perspective of who is telling the story first person uses pronouns like I narrator is a character in the story more personal (feels like we are there) second person uses pronouns like you the reader is the main character more informal or persuasive third person uses pronouns he, she, and it narrator is outside of the story more objective (factual), formal

Point of View 3 types of third person omniscient limited Objective “all-knowing”, God-like tells what several characters think limited thoughts of only one character Objective Like a video camera only tells the actions or words—what can be seen or heard—of the characters narrator does not know their thoughts