What Do You Need to Know About Characters? Characters Protagonist and Antagonist Subordinate Characters Characters and Conflict Character Motivation Characterization

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What Do You Need to Know About Characters? Characters Protagonist and Antagonist Subordinate Characters Characters and Conflict Character Motivation Characterization Direct Characterization Indirect Characterization Your Turn Feature Menu Slide 2 Characters are the people we meet in a story, poem, or play. We learn about them through their traits and their interactions with others. Characters Slide 3 Characters traits are the qualities that make up their personalities. Characters romantic You get to know characters by observing their traits. shycompetitivemoody Slide 4 Characters Interactions among characters show how they relate to each other and affect one another. As Brandon walked down the hall, he saw Melanie struggling with her books. He stopped for a second, as if he might help, then laughed loudly and continued on his way. Thats not a very positive interaction. He doesnt act like a caring person would act. Paying attention to characters interactions helps you make judgments about their personality traits. [End of Section] Slide 5 The protagonist in a story is the main character, the one you sometimes want to root for. Characters Protagonist and Antagonist An antagonist is a character who tries to keep the protagonist from succeeding. Slide 6 Characters Protagonist and Antagonist Daniel sat at the end of the bench, hanging his head. He couldnt believe hed had to sit through another game without playing. He thought of all the time hed spent practicing and looked up at his little brother in the stands, waiting patiently for him to get into the game. Everyone knew he was too good to be riding the bench. Coach Adams smirked at Daniels disappointment and chuckled to himself. Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist? [End of Section] Quick Check Slide 7 Characters Protagonist and Antagonist Daniel sat at the end of the bench, hanging his head. He couldnt believe hed had to sit through another game without playing. He thought of all the time hed spent practicing and looked up at his little brother in the stands, waiting patiently for him to get into the game. Everyone knew he was too good to be riding the bench. Coach Adams smirked at Daniels disappointment and chuckled to himself. Who is the protagonist? Daniel. Hes the main character, and readers probably will feel sympathy toward him. Quick Check Slide 8 Characters Protagonist and Antagonist Daniel sat at the end of the bench, hanging his head. He couldnt believe hed had to sit through another game without playing. He thought of all the time hed spent practicing and looked up at his little brother in the stands, waiting patiently for him to get into the game. Everyone knew he was too good to be riding the bench. Coach Adams smirked at Daniels disappointment and chuckled to himself. Who is the antagonist? Coach Adams. He tries to keep Daniel from succeeding by keeping him out of the game. Quick Check Slide 9 Many stories also have subordinate, or minor, characters to help move the story. Characters Subordinate Characters neighbor friend relative teacher Subordinate characters provide depth and complications that move the plot forward. Slide 10 Subordinate characters are sometimes round, flat, or static. Characters Subordinate Characters flat round static Their role is to advance the plot or to help us better understand the main character. Slide 11 Round characters have many different traits. Characters Subordinate Characters studious stylish mischievous shy Like real people, they have more than one side to their personalities. Slide 12 Characters Subordinate Characters Flat characters have just one or two traits. grumpy grouchy They can be described in a word or two. Slide 13 Characters Subordinate Characters Static characters dont change during the course of the story. angry still angry They help us better understand the main character. Slide 14 Character Subordinate Characters Max wished he could cheer up Daniel. There was nothing Max hated more than a sour mood. He could turn anything into a joke, and usually did. Daniel, on the other hand, was more complicated than that. Sure, he wanted to laugh at his problems, but he felt torn between goofing around with his friends and helping his family now that his father was ill. Still, he knew Max meant well and didnt want to let his friend down. [End of Section] Which boy is the best example of a flat character? Why? Quick Check Slide 15 Character Subordinate Characters Max wished he could cheer up Daniel. There was nothing Max hated more than a sour mood. He could turn anything into a joke, and usually did. Daniel, on the other hand, was more complicated than that. Sure, he wanted to laugh at his problems, but he felt torn between goofing around with his friends and helping his family now that his father was ill. Still, he knew Max meant well and didnt want to let his friend down. Which boy is the best example of a flat character? Why? Max. He has few traits. He doesnt like a sour mood and turns anything into a joke. Quick Check Slide 16 A conflict is a struggle. Two characters sometimes oppose each other. Sometimes a character struggles against a whole group. Characters and Conflict Slide 17 A conflict can exist inside a character. A character may also struggle with an external conflict or outside force. A character might struggle with an internal conflict to overcome fear or to gain confidence. Characters and Conflict Slide 18 When the team won the championship, the crowd went wild. It was Daniel who cheered the loudest and longest for his old teammates. He had wanted so badly to get on the court to impress his brother, but Joes grin told him that he was happy to have some company up in the stands. Daniel even offered Coach Adams a thumbs-up, but the coach simply sneered at his former player, just like he always had. Daniel shrugged. What conflict does Daniel encounter? Is it an internal or external conflict? [End of Section] Quick Check Slide 19 Characters and Conflict When the team won the championship, the crowd went wild. It was Daniel who cheered the loudest and longest for his old teammates. He had wanted so badly to get on the court to impress his brother, but Joes grin told him that he was happy to have some company up in the stands. Daniel even offered Coach Adams a thumbs-up, but the coach simply sneered at his former player, just like he always had. Daniel shrugged. Daniel encounters a conflict with the coachs attitude. It is an external conflict with the coach. Quick Check What conflict does Daniel encounter? Is it an internal or external conflict? Slide 20 Character Motivation A characters motivation is the reason he or she behaves in a certain way. feelings Many thingsfears, needs, or conflictsmay contribute to a characters motivation. feelingsexperiencesothers actions Slide 21 Coach Adams looked down the bench at Daniel and couldnt help but laugh at how depressed his player looked. He knew he shouldnt be so mean, but Daniel was just too perfect; Coach felt like he was doing him a favor by teaching him that he couldnt win at everything. Besides, when he was Daniels age, hed spent plenty of time on the bench thanks to Daniels father, whod stolen his starting position. Payback felt good. Quick Check What are Coach Adamss motivations for keeping Daniel on the bench? [End of Section] Character Motivation Slide 22 Quick Check Coach Adams looked down the bench at Daniel and couldnt help but laugh at how depressed his player looked. He knew he shouldnt be so mean, but Daniel was just too perfect; Coach felt like he was doing him a favor by teaching him that he couldnt win at everything. Besides, when he was Daniels age, hed spent plenty of time on the bench thanks to Daniels father, whod stolen his starting position. Payback felt good. What are Coach Adamss motivations for keeping Daniel on the bench? feelings experiences others actions Character Motivation Slide 23 Characterization Characterization is how an author reveals characters personalities and brings them to life. Slide 24 When writers use direct characterization, they tell us directly what characters are like or what their motives are. She was one of those people who could set you at ease as soon as she entered the room. She was warm-hearted, genuine and kind. She was one of those people who could set you at ease as soon as she entered the room. She was warm-hearted, genuine, and kind. Characterization Direct Characterization Slide 25 Characterization Indirect Characterization When writers use indirect characterization, they show the characters traits, allowing the reader to make inferences based on observations. As she walked down the hall, her classmates scurried out of her path. The corners of her mouth turned down and her eyes were slits. She slammed shut each open locker door she passed. As she walked down the hall, her classmates scurried out of her path. The corners of her mouth turned down, and her eyes were slits. She slammed shut each open locker door she passed. Slide 26 Writers show us characters by revealing dialogue appearanceprivate thoughts others reactions actions Characterization Indirect Characterization Slide 27 what characters say and dont say, and Dialogue can reveal a lot about characters and their relationships with each other. Pay attention to how characters respond to each other. Characterization Indirect Characterization Slide 28 Pay attention to language the writer uses to describe a characters appearance, including looks, clothes, and behavior. Does the description give you a positive or negative impression of the character? Which words contribute to this impression? Her icy eyes were spaced narrowly, just above her sharp nose. They were framed by thin brows whose arch formed severe peaks at her forehead. Two tight, pinched lips and a sharp V of a chin finished off her face. Characterization Indirect Characterization Slide 29 Writers can take us into a characters mind to reveal the private thoughts and personality traits of that character. As you read, pay close attention to any descriptions of a characters thoughts and feelings. Characterization Indirect Characterization Slide 30 Watch for how other characters react to a character. Pay attention to how others feel about the character, and what others say about the character. Characterization Indirect Characterization Slide 31 How characters behave, including how they treat each other, often reveals a lot about them. Observe characters actions to determine what their personalities are like, what motivates them, and how they deal with conflict. Characterization Indirect Characterization Slide 32 How does the author show the characters traits? Based on this excerpt, how would you characterize this man? Quick Check Just keep driving and no one gets hurt, he growled. He wore head-to-toe black, from his heavy leather boots to the wool ski mask that obscured his face. Beads of sweat dampened his mask, and the white sack he clutched so tightly was soaked through with red dye. His breathing was rapid and anxious, and his eyes darted furiously from the rearview mirror to the passengers side window. [End of Section] Characterization Indirect Characterization Slide 33 He wore head-to-toe black, from his heavy leather boots to the wool ski mask that obscured his face. Beads of sweat dampened his mask, and the white sack he clutched so tightly was soaked through with red dye. Speech Actions Description Quick Check How does the author show the characters traits? Characterization Indirect Characterization His breathing was rapid and anxious, and his eyes darted furiously from the rearview mirror to the passengers side window. Just keep driving and no one gets hurt, he growled. Slide 34 He looks and sounds angry, dangerous, desperate, and threatening. Quick Check Characterization Indirect Characterization Just keep driving and no one gets hurt, he growled. He wore head-to-toe black, from his heavy leather boots to the wool ski mask that obscured his face. Beads of sweat dampened his mask, and the white sack he clutched so tightly was soaked through with red dye. His breathing was rapid and anxious, and his eyes darted furiously from the rearview mirror to the passengers side window. Based on this excerpt, how would you characterize this man? Slide 35 Are you a good judge of character? Analyze two characters from a movie, TV show, or story. First, describe the character types. Then, write a brief sketch of each character. Share your sketches with a partner. Character 1Character 2 antagonist or protagonist subordinate internal or external conflicts [End of Section] Analyze Character Your Turn Slide 36 The End