1. CHARACTER TRAITS AND MOTIVATION
8th Grade Reading
Ramsey/Ford
August, 2012

2. Qualities of a character, such as their personality.
What are Traits?
Qualities of a character, such as their personality.
Ask yourself, What kind of person would behave, think or interact in this way?
What adjectives would you use to describe your characters core qualities?
Is your character skillful? persistent? friendly? thoughtful? concerned? lazy? intelligent? fearful? capable? dishonest? determined? wise?

3. Internal
External
Active
Pretty
Dangerous
Cute
Curious
Tall
Hopeful
Short
Crafty
Big
Fearless
Blue eyes
Scared
Student
Studious
Athlete
Cheerful
Ugly
Adventurous
Smelly
Determined
American
Talented
Brunette
Compassionate
Freckles
Restless
Blonde
Diligent
Petite
Traits can be Internal or External External can be seen Internal describes a character’s Inside: fears, frustrations or feelings

4. Finding Traits in a Character
In order to determine what traits the characters in a book have, or the people in life you meet, you could use these Methods of Characterization:
Physical Appearance
Speech, Thoughts and Actions
What Other Characters Say about Them

5. Physical Appearance
This is what the character looks like, what they wear, body language and facial expressions.
Example: The beautiful red-headed maiden with lips as red as a rose seems to glide everywhere she walks.

6. What the Character Says, Does and Thinks
This is the Dialogue the character uses to help the reader understand what they are thinking or feeling about a certain situation.
It is also what the narrator tells or the character may tell the reader that they are thinking about a certain situation.
What the character does in certain situations also shows the different traits that the character possesses.

7. What Other Characters Think
What Traits Do These Characters Have?
Madeline’s classmates smirked and laughed as she walked by. Not only was she unfriendly, they concluded, but she took herself way too seriously.
This is other’s impressions of the character.
It is also what others say and feel about the character.

8. 1. 
Toby's teacher asked him to take the note down to the office. loud restless dependable
2. 
Ron remained a true fan until the end of the game, even though his team was losing by twenty points. loyal proud shy
3. 
The sinister villain stole all the money from the villagers and let all the animals run free. easygoing caring evil
4. 
Quentin washed his laundry himself because his mom wasn't feeling well.
able tolerant alert
Practice

9. Character Motivation
A character’s motivation is what makes him/her think, feel, or act in a particular way.
When you know the reasons for a character’s actions, thoughts, or feelings, you understand his/her motivation.
A character’s motivation influences his/her actions. The actions, in turn, reveal the character’s traits.
Motivations can be internal or external.

10. What is the Character Motivation Here?
Carlos spends two hours cleaning his room on a Saturday morning.
What could Carlos’ motivation for cleaning his room be? Give an internal and an external reason.

11. What’s the Motivation
In “Little Red Riding Hood,” a wolf wants to catch the girl. The wolf dresses up as Grandmother to trick the girl into coming closer.
-The wolf’s motivation is: __________
-Is this internal or external?
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her companions travel to the Emerald city to see the wizard.
-What motivates them to visit the wizard? ________