1. Characterization
ENC 1102
Brown
1/22/2012

2. Characterization
The methods by which a writer creates people in a story so that they seem actually to exist (BH 121)
Plots are driving by successful characterization

3. Names Character’s names often reveal something about their natures
Dickens’s Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. M’Choakumchild from Hard Times

4. Showing and Telling
Dickens uses physical appearance of Grandgrid to tell the reader what to think of him
Sometimes it’s less obvious what an author wants us to think about a character
Many authors will use a combination of showing and telling to describe a character

5. Character Actions
Authors make characters more convincing by giving them plausible motivations
Even if the action seems unusual or extreme, it may still be plausible if consistent

6. Dynamic vs. Static
Dynamic characters change somehow by the end of the story
Static characters do not change
A static character may be used as a foil, against which change is revealed in the dynamic character

7. Flat vs. Round Flat characters have only one or two main traits
Stock characters are flat characters drawn from recognizable stereotypes (e.g. Adam Sandler’s characters)
Round characters are more complex and capable of surprising readers
Both flat and round characters can be either dynamic or static (BH 126)

8. Questions?