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Characterization

Characterization. How we find out about our characters. Characterization is:. Various methods used by an author to give the traits, thoughts, and actions of a character

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Characterization

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  1. Characterization How we find out about our characters

  2. Characterization is: • Various methods used by an author to give the traits, thoughts, and actions of a character • Ex: “And as anyone can tell you, I’m the fastest thing on two feet” tells us quite a bit about Squeaky, the main character in “Raymond’s Run.” • There are two types of characterization: DIRECT and INDIRECT

  3. Direct Characterization • The author informs the audience ‘directly’ about what a character is like. This is done through a narrator, another character, or the characters themselves. • Ex: Squeaky in “Raymond’s Run” tells us directly how tough she is when she says “I prefer to knock you down right from the jump and save everyone a lot of precious time.”

  4. Indirect characterization • In this method, readers decide on a character’s traits via the character’s thoughts, actions, dialogue, and interactions with other characters. • We learn about Raymond through his interaction with his sister Squeaky. • We learn about Squeaky’s mother through Squeaky’s comments about how she wants Squeaky to be. • None of these two scenes tell us anything directly about the characters. We INFER (make a guess based on evidence we can see) information about the characters based on their interactions with other characters.

  5. Types of Characters • There are four different character types present in most stories. Many characters will have more than one of these aspects (characteristics). • Round • Flat • Dynamic • Static

  6. Round and Flat characters • Terms coined by novelist E.M. Forster in 1927. • Round character: Fully developed, these are integral characters for a story. These characters have depth, and are often ‘main characters’. Ex: Squeaky • Flat character: These characters are ‘wallpaper’. They are barely developed, and are often stereotypical (oversimplified, clumped together without judging). These characters are basically furniture for the main characters to interact with. Ex: Mary Louise Williams, Mr. Pearson.

  7. Dynamic and Static characters • Dynamic characters: these characters grow and develop through the course of the story. They learn, react and behave in new ways. (The climax of the plot, in which the main character goes through a change, REQUIRES a dynamic character.) The main character is almost ALWAYS dynamic. Squeaky is a dynamic character. • Static characters: these characters end the story the same way that they began, without going through any meaningful changes. Examples are Rosie and Mr. Pearson.

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