1. Characters 101

2. Types of Characters
Hero (protagonist) – main character of the story; drives the action
Villain (antagonist) – prevents the hero from reaching his/her goals

3. Types of Characters, contd.
Flat – has only one or two personality traits; stays the same throughout the story
Round – has many traits which make him/ her interesting

4. Types of Characters, contd.
Static – character’s personality stays the exact same throughout the story
Flat characters are usually static
Dynamic – character experiences a huge change in personality during the course of the story
Round characters are usually dynamic

5. Types of Characters, contd.
Stock – character who represents a stereotype

6. Protagonist/Antagonist?
Describe a Character!
1.Think of a character from a story or movie.
2. Turn to your shoulder partner.
3. Describe your character using as much detail as possible.
4. Identify whether your chosen character is:
Protagonist/Antagonist?
Flat/Round?
Dynamic/Static?

7. Two Types of Characterization
Direct – author describes a character’s traits (ex. physical appearance)
Indirect – personality described through actions, speech, thoughts, and interactions with other characters

8. Methods of Indirect Characterization
S – speech; what the character says
T – thoughts; what the character thinks
E – effect on others; how the character interacts with others
A – actions; what the character does
L – looks; what the character looks like

9. BRAIN BREAK!

10. Partner Practice with STEAL
Find your Princeton partner.
Use the textbook to complete the STEAL handout for Travis.
Include page numbers for each example
Explain what each example reveals about the character.
Example: “We don’t belong in the Past.” (pg. 42). This shows Travis understands the consequences of changing the future.

11. Summarizer: 3-2-1 Exit Ticket
On the half sheet provided, write down:
3 things you learned today
2 examples of indirect characterization
1 question you still have about characterization.