BOOK CLUBSETTING AND CHARACTERIZATION

SETTING

• EUDORA WELTY SAID, "EVERY STORY WOULD BE ANOTHER STORY, AND UNRECOGNIZABLE IF IT TOOK UP ITS CHARACTERS AND PLOT AND HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE... FICTION DEPENDS FOR ITS LIFE ON PLACE. PLACE IS THE CROSSROADS OF CIRCUMSTANCE, THE PROVING GROUND OF, WHAT HAPPENED? WHO'S HERE? WHO'S COMING?..."

• THE SETTING OF THE BOOK IS BOTH THE TIME AND THE PLACE.

• EACH STORY IS CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A GOOD VISUAL (WHETHER REAL OR FICTITIOUS) OF WHERE AND WHEN THE STORY HAPPENS.

• SETTING CAN ALSO PROVIDE THE MOOD FOR THE STORY

USE YOUR SENSES

• DESCRIBE YOUR SETTING. THE WORD DESCRIBE MEANS TO ACTUALLY GIVE DETAIL AND SPECIFICS SO THE READER CAN SEE!

• COULD ENDER’S GAME TAKE PLACE IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES IN THE 1930S? HOW WOULD THE STORY CHANGE?

• COULD THE BOOK THIEF TAKE PLACE IN RURAL IDAHO AND STILL BE THE SAME STORY? WHY OR WHY NOT?

• CAREFULLY EXAMINE HOW THE AUTHOR CHOSE TO CONVEY HIS OR HER SETTING. HOW DO YOU FEEL BASED ON WHERE YOUR STORY TAKES PLACE?

CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION

• CHARACTERS ARE THE PEOPLE OR THINGS IN THE BOOK PROPELLING THE ACTION FORWARD.

• GOOD BOOKS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARACTERS. WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY LIKE, WHAT MAKES THEM MAD, SAD, OR GLAD, AND WE CAN GUESS WHAT THEY MIGHT DO.

• CHARACTERIZATION IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTERS. IT’S THEIR PERSONALITIES, INTERESTS, HOPES, AND FEARS.

• HOW WOULD YOUR BOOK BE DIFFERENT IF YOU KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE CHARACTERS?

1. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION2. NAME ANALYSIS

3. ATTITUDE APPEARANCE4. DIALOGUE5. THOUGHTS

6. REACTIONS OF OTHERS7. ACTION OR INCIDENT

8. PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL SETTING

Speech: What does the character say? How does the character speak?

Thoughts: What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?

Effect: on others toward the character. 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?

AS A GROUP, FILL OUT THE ENTIRE FRONT PAGE OF YOUR PURPLE PACKET.

PROVIDE AS MUCH DETAIL AS YOU CAN. PACKETS LACKING WILL NOT RECEIVE FULL CREDIT. THIS IS A GROUP EFFORT, EVERYONE MUST CONTRIBUTE TO MAKE

YOUR ASSIGNMENT WORTHWHILE.

PUT YOUR PACKET BACK IN YOUR FOLDER AND PUT YOUR FOLDER AWAY.