1. STEAL Characterization
Warm Up:
Analyze (break down) how an author creates a character in a novel.

2. NOTES: Reading Strategies
Characterization is the way a writer reveals a character.
To create a “round” character, authors must develop a character in several ways.
There are five different ways a character is revealed. Together, they spell the acronym STEAL:
Speech
Thoughts and Emotions
Effect on Others
Actions
Looks

3. Direct characterization- the author tells you the personality of the characters
Indirect characterization- the author shows things to reveal the personality of the character. (Drawing inferences is important in this case.)

4. STEAL Characterization
Speech: What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts/Emotions: What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts? How does the character feel about things?
Effect on Others: How does the character cause others to react?
Actions: What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks: What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

5. Let’s Try It Out!!! Quickly recreate the organizer on the next slide.
Use the STEAL strategy to characterize the character within the example story.

6. SPEECH
THOUGHTS/
EMOTIONS
EFFECTS ON OTHERS
ACTIONS
LOOKS
Character:
SPEECH
THOUGHTS/
EMOTIONS
EFFECTS ON OTHERS
ACTIONS
LOOKS
Character:

7. Tex was the head rancher on the farm
Tex was the head rancher on the farm. When he rounds up the horses, he can be easily spotted with his beige hat and vest. Tex’s smile is a mile wild, even with his bushy mustache. He always approaches all strangers with a “Hey y’all!”