1. Character
Good writers create characters that jump off the page, some living in our memories forever. This course explores two different ways to think about fictional characters
how they resemble real people and
how authors develop them as fictional people.

2. Character
The most pleasurable part of reading fiction is the chance to meet people who make us privy to their inner lives and to revealing situations.

3. Life itself can't possibly offer the variety of personalities that fiction can. Through books we are able to meet characters across vast distances in time and space.

4. By learning to understand fictional characters, we also learn to understand ourselves and others.
We rely on the same clues to learn about characters as we do real people. We look at . . .
• Speech • Actions • Appearance • Background and history • What others say about them

5. Characters and speech
What characters say reveals a lot about them. We interpret their words to clarify meaning. But beware: words aren't always reliable indicators of truth. Like real people, characters may . . .
• Use words to conceal • Say one thing but do another • Not say what they mean • Say more—or less—than they mean.

6. Characters and actions
We are what we do—and what characters do says a great deal about them. Fiction focuses on critical moments in characters' lives, so we need to interpret how they respond to those crises.
• Is the action thoughtful or impulsive? • Is the action appropriate? • What motivation lies behind the action? • Is the action influenced by the past?

7. Characters and appearance
How characters look also tells us something about them. When authors take time to describe someone's appearance or physical condition, there is usually a reason. We need to pay attention to . . .
• Attire • Hair • Physical stature • Physical condition

8. Characters and appearance
The meaning of a character's description will vary with context. A character with a . . .
disheveled appearance may indicate a "disheveled" mind, a social misfit...or the opposite—one who values authenticity over appearance.
heart problem may indicate someone who is selfish, untouched by emotion...or (as in Kate Chopin's story) troubled and unhappy.

9. Characters and background
Characters, like people, are shaped by their back- grounds—personal experiences that reflect the context of their lives. We take into account . . .
• Gender • Race • Family • Socio-economic class • Religion

10. Characters and what others say
Opinions of one character about an other can be a valuable source of information. But what others say about someone must be carefully vetted. Are the opinions . . .
• From a trusted or unreliable source? • Based on complete or only partial information? • Objective or biased? • Rational or emotional (perhaps resentment or blind devotion)?

11. How are characters created?
Characterization is the process of developing characters. An author considers several factors:
1 How should readers learn about characters? 2 How convincing should they be? 3 How fully developed should they be? 4 Should they change or grow over the course of the story?