Characterization Techniques writers use to create and develop characters Two Methods of Characterization (direct and indirect) Direct • Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. • Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.” • Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.” Indirect (determined through clues) 1.Appearance how the character looks how the character dresses 2. Thoughts and conversation what the character says, thinks, or feels what others in the story say or think about the character 3. Actions • • • what the character does what the character chooses not to do what others in the story do to the main character 4. The story’s setting also enhances the character’s personality Common Character Types • • • • • • Flat Round Dynamic Static Stock Foil Types: Round or Flat? • Authors must decide how much detail to include about each character. – Which characters are most important? – How will giving detail, or not giving detail, about that character affect the story? Round • Characters that are described in depth, with many details, are well-rounded characters. They are called round characters. • The main character in a story is almost always round. • If you are reading a story and believe you know a character extremely well, then most likely the character is round. Flat • Characters that are not described well — that you are not given much information about — are flat characters. • Consider a drawing: a threedimensional drawing gives more detail than a one-dimensional drawing. • If you draw a two-dimensional, flat picture of a house, for example, you can only see one side of it. You cannot see three of the four sides. • This is how a flat character is; you can only see a few characteristics of the character. There are many things you cannot “see,” or many details you are not given by the author. Flat Round Round or Flat? • As a reader, judge whether or not the character is round or flat by trying to write down characteristics of the character. • Answer the question: What do you know about the character? If your list is long, with many characteristics, then the character is round. If your list is short, or there are not many characteristics at all, then the character is flat. Types: Static or Dynamic? • The key word when dealing with the difference between static and dynamic characters is ‘change’. • The type of change, though, is specific. We are only concerned with internal changes — changes which occur within the character. • Internal changes include a change in his/her personality , a change in his/her outlook on life, a change in his/her values, or it could be an overall change in the nature of the character. Static or Dynamic? • Do not focus on changes that happen TO a character, but rather, changes that happen WITHIN a character. • Think about it this way: Does the event affect the character by changing the character internally? Static • Static = not moving or changing (ex: static electricity is static unlike current electricity which is moving!! • In order for a character to be considered a static character, the character must remain basically the same throughout the entire story. • The character does not undergo any internal changes. Static • Think of static characterization like plastic surgery. The character may change in looks, but unless his/her personality is affected, the character is static. Dynamic • A dynamic character is a character that undergoes an internal change sometime between the beginning and end of the story. • The change in the character is usually crucial to the story itself. Dynamic • Say a main character goes through a lifealtering experience, such as a race car driver getting into an accident. If the driver's personality changes, and he is no longer willing to take on the risk of driving a race car, the character would be dynamic. Static or Dynamic? • Look closely at your character at the beginning of the story. Ask these three questions: – How does the character feel about him/her/itself? – How does the character act towards others? – What is the character’s goal? • Examine your character throughout the story and at the end of the story. Have the answers to the questions changed? Static = no change within the character Dynamic = the character changes internally Stock Character A ‘stock’ character is… • special kind of flat character who is instantly recognizable to most readers. • They are ‘stock’ or ‘typecast’ or ‘stereotypical’ characters Examples include: the ruthless businessman the shushing old, white-haired librarian the dumb jock • They are not focus characters nor are they developed in the story. (They fulfill background or filler roles.) Foil Character A ‘foil’ character is… • special kind of character who is used to enhance another character through contrast i.e. as opposites they highlight qualities of a central character Examples include: - the mean step-sisters contrast to Cinderella’s character - Asher’s silly, careless, childish qualities contrast and highlight some of Jonas’ qualities. • They are not focus characters nor are they developed in the story. (They help us learn more about another character or aspect of a story.) So What? Good characters are: • believable • consistent • multidimensional, that is, not stereotyped • memorable • grow or change over time Ask these questions when judging an authors effectiveness in characterization • • • • • • Are the characters believable? Have you ever felt like this character, or have you known anyone who felt like this character? What about the character seemed real and true? Is each character’s behavior consistent with what we know about him or her? Does the behavior remain consistent throughout the book? Is the change that occurs in the character (reasonable)? Does the character’s behavior show that the character is a unique individual (or is the behavior stereotypical)? Do you identify with the character? How would you have reacted if you were the character? Does the character change or learn as the story progresses? Does the character reach a new understanding about the situation or about life? Is the character memorable? Will you remember this character in a month? Common Character Traits adventurous awesome artistic athletic active beautiful brave bold bossy caring charming cheerful curious creative courageous considerate cunning daring a dreamer dangerous exciting entertaining energetic ferocious funny a fighter Friendly fun-loving Gentle Generous Grumpy Happy Hideous Humble Hostile Honest Intelligent Independent Inventive a leader Lazy messy mischievous mean Neat nervous nasty Nice Nosy Open persistent Poor proud pretty protective quiet rich respectful sad sloppy serious successful shy short smart studious selfish simple Tall Timid trustworthy thoughtful unselfish Warm Witty Wild Wise wonderful Works Cited • A Glossary of Literary Terms: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/subj ects/elarts/reading/resources/readinggloss ary.pdf • Literary Vocabulary: http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms.html
