1. CREATING CHARACTERS
Creating characters—telling what human beings are like—is the whole point of writing stories.
The techniques the writers use to develop a character is called Characterization
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2. Character Development
Writers build characters by revealing
speech
private thoughts
appearance
others’ reactions
actions

3. “Keep still, you little devil, or I’ll cut your throat!”
A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints ; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.
from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Which methods of character development are being used?
What do you think of the man based on this excerpt?
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4. Character Development
Quick Check
Character Development
Which methods of character development are being used?
“Keep still, you little devil, or I’ll cut your throat!”
A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints ; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.
from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Speech
Description
Actions

5. Quick Check What do you think of the man based on this excerpt?
“Keep still, you little devil, or I’ll cut your throat!”
A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints ; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.
from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
He’s dangerous and desperate. He seems to be an escaped prisoner on the run.

6. — First Person Narrators
tell their own stories (using pronouns like I, me, and we)
tell us what they think and feel
Be aware that some first-person narrators mislead or lie to the audience.

7. Dialogue what characters say and don’t say
can reveal a lot about characters and their relationships with each other.
Pay Attention to
what characters say and don’t say
how characters respond to each other
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8. Appearance
Pay attention to language the writer uses to describe the characters’ looks, clothes, and demeanor.
The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue
from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Does the description give you a positive or negative impression of the character?
Which words contribute to this impression?

9. Private Thoughts
Writers can take us into the characters’ minds to reveal their thoughts and feelings.
As you read, note whether the characters’ thoughts and feelings match their speech and actions.

10. How Other Characters Feel
Watch how other characters in the story react to the character. Note
how the others feel about the character
what the others say about the character

11. ACTIONS
What characters do and how they treat each other often reveal the most about them.
Observe characters’ actions to determine:
what their personality is like
what motivates them
how they deal with conflict

12. Direct Characterization—Writers tell us directly what characters are like or what their motives are.
Oh, but he was a tightfisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!
from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Indirect Characterization—Writers show us characters (through speech, appearance, private thoughts, other characters’ reactions, and actions) but allow us to decide what characters are like.

13. Direct and Indirect Characterization
Is this an example of direct or indirect characterization?
My sister, Mrs. Joe, with black hair and eyes, had such a prevailing redness of skin that I sometimes used to wonder whether it was possible she washed herself with a nutmeg-grater instead of soap. She was tall and bony, and almost always wore a coarse apron, fastened over her figure behind with two loops, and having a square impregnable bib in front, that was stuck full of pins and needles.
from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
What kind of person do you think this character is?

14. Direct and Indirect Characterization
My sister, Mrs. Joe, with black hair and eyes, had such a prevailing redness of skin that I sometimes used to wonder whether it was possible she washed herself with a nutmeg-grater instead of soap. She was tall and bony, and almost always wore a coarse apron, fastened over her figure behind with two loops, and having a square impregnable bib in front, that was stuck full of pins and needles.
from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Is this an example of direct or indirect characterization?
Indirect. The writer is describing the character’s appearance.

15. What Is a Symbol?
A symbol is an ordinary object, event, person, or animal to which we have attached a special meaning.

16. Where Do We Get Symbols? Public Symbols
have been inherited, or handed down over time
are widely known
show up in art and literature
Note

17. Where Do We Get Symbols?
What does each of these symbols stand for? Why do you think they have taken on the meanings they have?

18. Where Do We Get Symbols? Invented symbols
come about when writers make a character, object, or event stand for some human concern
sometimes become well known and gain the status of public symbol

19. Symbols in Literature Writers use symbols to
suggest layers of meaning that a simple, literal statement could never convey
speak more powerfully to the reader’s emotions and imagination
Side Note
Different cultures may attach different meanings to some symbols.
make their stories rich and memorable

20. Symbols in Secret life of bees

21. Symbols In Look me in the eye
Names
Machines—Circuits
& Wires
Isolation--Loneliness

22. Symbols in Once Upon a Road Trip

23. Symbolic nature in names
In LME
Unit Two
Cubby
Little Bear
How his parents names change
In SLB
Months—horoscopes
Lily
Names can symbolize biblical characters, emotions, nature, specific traits tied to horoscopes and astrology, abstract ideas, etc.

24. Symbols can also be thematic ideas but themes are actual statements We will look at theme tomorrow