1. Focus on CHARACTERIZATION
Elements of Fiction
Focus on CHARACTERIZATION

2. Identify the Characters
Enhancing Your Understanding 1
Identify the Characters 2
Focus on
Development 3
Discover
Their Purpose
There is no story without a character.

3. Identify The Character1
Identify The Character
Who and What

4. Major Categories of Characters
The Protagonist
It’s WHO the story is all about.
Usually good, but NOT always.
The Antagonist
It’s WHO is AGAINST the Protagonist.
Usually bad, but NOT always.

5. The ROLES They Play
Major
Minor

6. Round vs. Flat Change in belief, action, etc. Events cause realization
Starts out one way
NO change in belief, action, etc.
Events have no effect
Starts out one way

7. 2
Focus On Development
Discovering the Character

8. It’s not just about the telling a story, it’s about
SHOWING IT

9. Direct Characterization
…And I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I’m a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky.
From “Raymond’s Run” by T. Bambara

10. Indirect Characterization
The old man bowed to all of us in the room. Then he removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully. Chaplin once did that in a picture, in a bank--he was the janitor.
From “Gentleman of Rio en Medio” by J. Sedillo

11. Saying it without saying it
“From Ernest Hemingway's stories, I learned to listen within my stories for what went unsaid by my characters.” Nadine Gordimer

12. How the character speaks

13. What the character thinks

14. How the character acts

15. How the character reacts

16. How others react to the character

17. What others say about the character

18. Discover Their Purpose3
Discover Their Purpose
Why bother with characters at all?

19. MOTIVATION
“Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.”
Les Brown

20. RELATIONSHIPS
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”
Tennessee Williams

21. CONFLICT
“I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.”
Oprah Winfrey

22. Chapters 1-4 Vocabulary perplexed Definition: Sentence:
Name three different situations that would make you feel perplexed.

23. consent covet condescend prodigious definition: sentence:
For what might a parent have to give consent for their children to do?
covet
What are three things that a teacher might covet?
condescend
If you were to meet the President, what remark could you say that would be condescending?
prodigious
What materialistic items would you wish to be prodigious?