Characters 101

Types of Characters Hero (protagonist) – main character of the story; drives the action Villain (antagonist) – prevents the hero from reaching his/her goals

Types of Characters, contd. Flat – has only one or two personality traits; stays the same throughout the story Round – has many traits which make him/ her interesting

Types of Characters, contd. Static – character’s personality stays the exact same throughout the story Flat characters are usually static Dynamic – character experiences a huge change in personality during the course of the story Round characters are usually dynamic

Types of Characters, contd. Stock – character who represents a stereotype

Protagonist/Antagonist? Describe a Character! 1.Think of a character from a story or movie. 2. Turn to your shoulder partner. 3. Describe your character using as much detail as possible. 4. Identify whether your chosen character is: Protagonist/Antagonist? Flat/Round? Dynamic/Static?

Two Types of Characterization Direct – author describes a character’s traits (ex. physical appearance) Indirect – personality described through actions, speech, thoughts, and interactions with other characters

Methods of Indirect Characterization S – speech; what the character says T – thoughts; what the character thinks E – effect on others; how the character interacts with others A – actions; what the character does L – looks; what the character looks like

BRAIN BREAK!

Partner Practice with STEAL Find your Princeton partner. Use the textbook to complete the STEAL handout for Travis. Include page numbers for each example Explain what each example reveals about the character. Example: “We don’t belong in the Past.” (pg. 42). This shows Travis understands the consequences of changing the future.

Summarizer: 3-2-1 Exit Ticket On the half sheet provided, write down: 3 things you learned today 2 examples of indirect characterization 1 question you still have about characterization.