Characterization
How do we make fair judgments
about people based on individual
experience?
Characterization
The author’s job of giving a character personality
traits.
Character traits are adjective words that
describe their personality in general. They are
not singular emotions.
- Humorous
- Serious
- Independent
Direct Characterization
Characteristics or personality traits told by the
author.
Batman’s evil nemesis,
the Joker…
INDirect Characterization
Characteristics or personality traits told through
the story.
Batman’s evil nemesis,
the Joker…
S.T.E.A.L.
S.T.E.A.L. is a tool we use to give a personality to a
character.
SPEECH
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The words they use (word choice)
They complexity of their speech
Accents
Stuttering
thoughts
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Their beliefs
Their internal monologue
Their opinions
Their emotions
Effect on others
• Positive or negative influence?
• What they cause others to do
• Befriend or antagonize?
Actions
• Public behavior
• Treatment of others
• Responses to stress
looks
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Appearance
Dress
Facial expressions
Body language
Clothing
Characterization
Use direct quote or
action from text.
Identify and explain
the character trait in
1 sentence.
Joker Characterization Analysis
The Joker is a manipulative, sly villain. In the The
Dark Knight, the Joker passively allows Batman to
throw him around the room, all along, laughing at
Batman’s rage. This means the Joker enjoys getting
under Batman’s skin. It matters because it
demonstrates the viciousness that villains like the
Joker possess. Overall, Joker’s mischievous
personality leads him to cause Batman to be the
monster in each situation.
able
active
adventurous
affectionate
afraid
alert
ambitious
angry
annoyed
anxious
apologetic
arrogant
attentive
average
bad
blue
bold
bored
bossy
brainy
brave
bright
brilliant
busy
calm
careful
careless
cautious
charming
cheerful
childish
clever
clumsy
coarse
concerned
confident
confused
considerate
cooperative
courageous
cowardly
cross
cruel
curious
dangerous
daring
dark
decisive
demanding
dependable
depressed
determined
discouraged
dishonest
disrespectful
doubtful
dull
dutiful
eager
easygoing
efficient
embarrassed
encouraging
energetic
evil
excited
expert
fair
faithful
fearless
fierce
foolish
fortunate
foul
fresh
friendly
frustrated
funny
gentle
giving
glamorous
gloomy
good
graceful
grateful
greedy
grouchy
grumpy
guilty
happy
harsh
hateful
healthy
helpful
honest
hopeful
hopeless
humorous
ignorant
imaginative
impatient
impolite
inconsiderate
independent
industrious
innocent
intelligent
jealous
kindly
lazy
leader
lively
lonely
loving
loyal
lucky
mature
mean
messy
miserable
mysterious
naughty
nervous
nice
noisy
obedient
obnoxious
old
peaceful
picky
pleasant
polite
poor
popular
positive
precise
proper
proud
quick
quiet
rational
reliable
religious
responsible
Sample Character Traits
restless
rich
rough
rowdy
rude
sad
safe
satisfied
scared
secretive
selfish
serious
sharp
short
shy
silly
skillful
sly
smart
sneaky
sorry
spoiled
stingy
strange
strict
stubborn
sweet
talented
tall
thankful
thoughtful
thoughtless
tired
tolerant
touchy
trusting
trustworthy
unfriendly
unhappy
upset
useful
warm
weak
wicked
wise
worried
wrong
young
Identify and explain
the character trait
in 1 sentence.
Identify and explain
the character trait
in 1 sentence.
Use direct quote or
action from text.
Use direct quote or
action from text.
Perpetrator characterization
Identify a PERPETRATOR from The Absolutely
True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and complete a
STEAL Chart.
Write a WANTED news report in the form of a
SAY MEAN MATTER paragraph structure.