Character and Setting

Character

Definition: the people, animals, or creatures

Main Characters: The most important characters in a story

Minor Character: Interacts with main character. Has a lesser role in the story

-The actions of the minor characters, and their interactions with the major characters

- They help the plot move along

Dynamic Characters: A character who grows emotionally, learns a lesson, or changes his or her behavior

Static Character: A character who doesn’t change

Motives: Are the emotions, desire, or needs that prompt the characters actions

Traits: permanent qualities of the character’s personality

The character’s reaction the story’s conflict situation, or other characters also tell you about the character’s motives and traits

CharacterizationThe techniques writers use to create and develop characters

- Description of physical appearance of the character

- Speech or dialogue - What minor characters think or say to the main

character - Direct statements made by author about the

character’s nature

Setting

Definition: the time and place of the action, may include geographic location, historical period (past present, future) season, time of day and local customs and way of speakingMood: atmosphere of a piece and is often reflected in the kind of description a writer uses. Helped created by the settingTone: the writer’s attitude towards a subject

Let’s Apply it to a story

Cinderella as told by Ms Schroeder

Once upon a time in a kingdom far far away there lived a young girl in a cottage on the edge of town.

Soon after her mother died her father remarried a woman that was very pretty but very vain. She had two daughters of her own.

As wicked and selfish that they were Cinderella was as kind and giving. To keep the peace in her father’s home Cinderella started doing chores for her new stepmother and her daughters. Over time Cinderella became a servant in her own home to her stepmother and stepsisters. Time had passed and Cinderella had grown into a lovely young lady.

One day an invitation to a ball for the prince came to the house, it said that all eligible ladies were to attend the ball. The stepsisters immediately started to plan what they were going to wear to the ball. Cinderella who was excited as well asked if she would not also be allowed to go since the invitation said that all eligible ladies were to attend. The stepsisters started to laugh, “you go to the ball? What do you think that the prince would dance with you?”

The stepmother said, “darlings she has a point the invitation does say all eligible ladies are to attend. Of course she is going to make herself a new dress because none of the dresses that she owns are going to be suitable for a ball with the prince.” “Of course” said Cinderella. “And you would not want to fall behind on your choirs.” “Of course,” said Cinderella. “If and only if you are able to make a suitable dress and finish all your choirs will you be able to go to the ball.” “Oh thank you” said Cinderella and went off to work on her choirs. She worked hard over the next week. But no matter how hard she worked her choirs never seemed to be done. Her dress was never finished. So on the night of the ball she watched from her bedroom window as the carriage took her family to the ball.

In her backyard her had planted a tree on the day that her mother died. She had watered the tree with her many tears till it had become a mighty tree. She ran out to the tree in the garden and crying she told the tree about how she was not being allowed to go to the ball. The wind blew through the tree and seemed to say “you will get your wish.”

Cinderella looked up and saw in the tree a dress and shoes were hanging from the tree. Cinderella ran into the house and changed into the dress. She went outside of the house and there was a carriage. When she got the ball she was immediately noticed by the prince and they danced all night. At midnight she realized that she had to get home before her family. So she ran down the step along the way one of her shoes fell off. Her family never suspected that the beautiful girl at the ball was their Cinderella.

News reached the stepsisters that the Prince was going around trying on the shoe to all eligible ladies to see if the shoe fit and he would marry whom ever the shoe fit.

He got to Cinderella’s house and the two stepsisters tried on the shoe. When the shoe did not seem to fit the stepmother took the dinner knife and cut off her little toe to make it fit. The Prince took her out to his horse and started to ride back to the castle when he noticed the blood dripping out of the shoe. He rode back to the house and tried the shoe on the other step sister when the shoe did not fit the stepmother took a dinner knife and cut off her heel. The prince was riding back to the castle when her noticed the blood coming out of the shoe. He rode back to the house and asked if there were any other ladies in the house the stepmother said that there was only Cinderella but she had not been to the ball so there was no reason in having her try on the shoe. The prince took one look at her and knew that she was the girl from the ball. He placed the shoe on her foot and it was a prefect fit and no blood.

They were soon married. At the wedding the stepsisters were seeing Cinderella off on her honeymoon when crows came flying down and picked out their eyes as punishment for being so mean to Cinderella. Never again were the girls mean to another living creature.

As for Cinderella she lived Happily Ever After.

Characters

Setting

Stepmother

Is she a main character or a minor Character?

She is a minor Character.

Is she a dynamic or static character?

She is a static Character.

What are her motives?

To get her daughters to marry the Prince.

Step Sisters

Are they main character or a minor Character?

They are minor Character.

Is she a dynamic or static character?

They are dynamic characters.

What their motives?

To marry the Prince.

Father

Is he a main character or a minor Character?

He is a minor Character.

Is he a dynamic or static character?

She is a static Character.

Does he have any motives?

No.