1. Characters in Literature
Mrs. Haring’s reading class

2. Protagonist Main character Reader/audience empathizes with
Their problems move the plot & conflict forward
Although they often are written as “heroes” they do NOT have to be the “good” guy or girl

3. Protagonist example

4. Antagonist Opposes the protagonist
Most narratives it is the bad guy vs. good guy
Protagonist doesn’t have to be the good guy. If a story is from a criminal’s point of view being chased by the cops, then the cop would be the antagonist
Don’t have to be human—are the force in the conflict with the protagonist
(dinosaurs, floods, asteroids)

5. Antagonist Example

6. Characterization
Process in which author reveals (shows) the personality of a character
Direct & Indirect

7. Direct Characterization
Tells the audience what the personality of the character is
“The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.”
Author directly telling audience the personality of these two children
patient/quiet

8. Indirect characterization
Shows things that reveal the personality of a character
Five different areas to determine:
S--speech
T--thoughts
E--effects on others
A--actions
L--looks

9. STEAL “method of” Indirect characterization
Speech
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts
What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?
Effects
What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions
What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks
What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

10. Direct or Indirect? Dena was a kind, caring individual.
Dena felt so sad when she saw the hurt, little chipmunk that she began to cry. She immediately approached it to try and help it get better.

11. Dynamic & Static Characters
Key word===CHANGE
Only concerned with INTERNAL changes which occur within the character
Major changes in personality
Outlook in life
Change in values
Overall change in nature of the character
Do not focus on changes that happen TO a character, but rather, changes that happen WITHIN a character.
Think about it this way: Does the event affect the character by changing the character internally?

12. Dynamic character
Is one that under goes changes during the course of the plot
Changes:
Insight or understanding
Commitment
In values
Changes in circumstances do not apply unless the change has caused the character to change within itself.
Finding Nemo—Marlin (father—dynamic) beginning very overprotective & barely lets Nemo do anything without him. By end of story, learns valuable lesson about letting go and trusting in his son’s abilities.

13. Static characters
Is one that no change is applied to during the course of the story.
Usually background or secondary characters or that they can serve as thematic or plot elements.
Annette (Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie)---always there for Steven & had deeper feelings for him

14. Round Character Very detailed
Reader able to see & visualize all sides of this character
Usually protagonists & antagonists
Reader understands the motivation (they do things) of round characters & their personal perspective

15. Round characters
In Finding Nemo, Marlin (Father) is a round character. We understand the reasons behind his attitude. We know his past, his tragedies, his feelings.

16. How do you know if you have a round character?
You can list a lot of things about who they are, their personality, and their motivations then most likely you have a ROUND character?
If you hardly know anything about them, or only one or two things stand out about them, they they are FLAT.

17. Flat character
Very simple personality- often called “one” or “two-dimensional” characters
Not necessarily unimportant though
Writer does NOT provide enough information for us to understand them; we only get to see one side of the character’s personality
Steven Alper’s band mates in Drums. Girls. & Dangerous Pie

18. Flat character
In Finding Nemo, Bruce the shark is a flat character-he is not around
very long, and we don’t
really understand why he does
what he does. His motivations
are very simple—when he gets
hungry, he tries to eat.