Name___________________________ Period ______
What a Character!
Notes on character and characterization (Collection 2)
Characterization-Use pp. 128-129 to complete this section of the notes.
 Characterization is the technique used by a writer to develop a character.
 Direct characterization is when a writer _________________________
________________________________________________________ .
 Indirect characterization is when a writer __________________________
_________________________________________________________.
 There are five ways a writer shows what a character is like:
o _____________________
o _____________________
o _____________________
o _____________________
o _____________________
Traits, Inference, and Motivation-Use p. 136 and p. 146 in the text book to complete the
following section.
 A character is anyone who plays a part in a story.
 A character trait is a _________________________________________.
 An author reveals character traits by:
o __________________________
o __________________________
o __________________________
o __________________________
o __________________________
 To find a character’s traits, you have to make inferences. Inferences are
__________________________ guesses, based on what evidence you have.
 Characters often do something or act a certain way because of motivation.
 Motivation is _______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
The Narrator-Use p. 168 in the text book to complete the following section.
 The narrator is the person who is ______________________ the story.
 There are different types of narrators:
o A first person narrator is when the story is told by a character in the story.
First person narrators, like Ponyboy in The Outsiders use
______________________________________________________.
o A second-person narrator is when the narrator speaks in “you.” This is very
uncommon. You see it most often in recipes (you, understood) or in Choose Your
Own Adventure books.
o A third-person omniscient narrator knows all about all the
_____________________ and the _______________ in the story. An
omniscient narrator can tell you what all of the characters in the story are
________________ and can take you back and forth in
____________________.
o A third-person limited narrator is when the story is told through the eyes of
one character, but the character is not telling the story as “I.” In this point of
view the narrator zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of just one character in
the story.
Other important terms for this unit.
An allusion is a direct or indirect reference to something historical, literary, religious, or
mythical. The author usually uses references that will be understood by his or her audience,
such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. You can also make allusions to pop culture.
Why Writers Use It: Allusions can help people see unique connections between two ideas.
The reference can help the audience better understand a subject. Allusions can also be
surprising and funny.
Example: “Now who’s the boss? Not Tony Danza.” -Malik B of the Roots
Grammar
A sentence is made up of a _______________ and a _______________________.
*To find the subject of the sentence, find the verb first, then ask “who or what?” before
the verb.
Noun: A noun is a person, place or thing.
Verb: A verb is a word that expresses action or state of being.
Adjective: An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun.
Adverb: An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.