Consider this scenario:A new student has moved to town and is attending your school. Your friend thinks he/she is cute and wants you to find out more about him/her. How would you go about achieving your goal?

CharacterizationThe way an author brings a character to life for the reader.

Direct Characterization Indirect Characterization

Telling you about the character’s personality.

He was tall with brown hair.

Revealing personality characteristics without explicitly stating it.

When the shy girl dropped her books in the middle of the hall, he picked them up with a smile.

Types of Indirect Characterization

• What the character thinks• What the character says• What the character does• What other characters say or think about

the character.

INFERRING!!!

Direct or Indirect?• “That new kid is nothing but a dumb jock,”

said Leslie. • He was the kind of person who wouldn’t hurt

a fly. • After the two cars wrecked, he stepped out

and unleashed a string of curses a mile long.• When the teacher asked for volunteers, he

tried to make himself as small as possible.

Static vs. Dynamic

Flat vs. Round

A STATIC CHARACTER is one who stays basically the same from beginning to end.

A DYNAMIC CHARACTER is one who undergoes an internal change/growth by the end of the story.

The reader would know only a few minor details about a FLAT CHARACTER.

The reader would know a great deal about the background, motivations, and desires of a ROUND CHARACTER.

Practice!Ponyboy in The Outsiders static dynamic flat

round

Dallas in The Outsiders static dynamic flatround

Two-bit in The Outsiders static dynamic flatround

Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol

static dynamic flatround

Lord Capulet and Lord Montague in Romeo and Juliet static dynamic flat

round

Can you think of some movies or TV shows that deal with problems between parents and teenagers?

Have you ever known a family grudge to carry over from childhood into adulthood?

A Visit to Grandmother

“A Visit to Grandmother”

• Emotional Response• What do you learn about Charles and GL and

their personalities? Which method of characterization does the author use for your examples?

• With which character do you sympathize? • Do you agree with the way Mama raised her

children?