Transcript Characterization

Characterization
Reading Journal Instructions and Examples
Opening Activity
 Read the excerpt from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark
Twain on pages 43 and 44 in the teal Daybook.
 In your composition book, please create a bubble map with
the name “Huckleberry Finn” in the center circle.
 Fill in the outer circles with words and phrases from the text
that are used to describe him.
Lesson 2 Characterization
 Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the
personality of a character. Characterization is revealed
through direct characterization and indirect characterization.
Types of Characterization
Direct Characterization tells
the audience what the
appearance and personality of
the character is.
Example: “The patient boy and
quiet girl were both well mannered
and did not disobey their mother.”
Explanation: The author is directly
telling the audience the personality
of these two children. The boy is
“patient” and the girl is “quiet.”
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Indirect Characterization
shows things that reveal the
personality of a character in the
following ways:
The things they say
The things they do
Through their thoughts
How they look
The way other characters react
to them
Finding Characterization in Children’s
Stories
 Read the story together.
 When you are finished, look back through the book for any
examples (words, lines, even pictures) of direct and indirect
characterization.
 Find at least three examples and label them (direct or
indirect)
Characterization Practice
“All the Years of Her Life” by Morley Callaghan
“She came in, large and plump, with a little smile on her friendly face…her blue
eyes never wavered, and with a calmness and dignity that made them forget that
her clothes seemed to have been thrown on her, she put out her hand and said
politely, “I’m Mrs. Higgins. I’m Alfred’s mother”” (58).
 1. Is this example primarily direct or indirect characterization? Based on this
excerpt, list three things that the author tells us about Mrs. Higgins.
 “When she reached out and lifted the kettle to pour hot water in her cup, her
hand trembled and the water splashed on the stove. Leaning back in the chair,
she sighed and lifted the cup to her lips…” (60).
 2. Is this an example of direct or indirect characterization? What do we learn
about Mrs. Higgins in this passage? Write down specific words and phrases to
prove it.
“She came in, large and plump, with a little smile on her friendly face…her
blue eyes never wavered, and with a calmness and dignity that made them
forget that her clothes seemed to have been thrown on her, she put out her
hand and said politely, “I’m Mrs. Higgins. I’m Alfred’s mother”” (58).
1. Is this example primarily direct or indirect characterization? Based on this
excerpt, list three things that the author tells us about Mrs. Higgins.
“When she reached out and lifted the kettle to pour hot water in her cup, her
hand trembled and the water splashed on the stove. Leaning back in the chair,
she sighed and lifted the cup to her lips…” (60).
2. Is this an example of direct or indirect characterization? What do we learn
about Mrs. Higgins in this passage? Write down specific words and phrases to
prove it.
Types of Characters
Characters experience varying amounts of change over the
course of a story.
• Static characters that do not experience basic
character changes during the course of the story.
• Dynamic characters that experience changes
throughout the plot of a story. Although the change
may be sudden, it is expected based on the story’s
events.
A story’s characters fall within a range—from very static characters that
experience no change to very dynamic characters that undergo one or
more major changes.
Opening Activity
 Choose one character from your book.
 In your composition book, create a bubble map with your
character’s name in the center.
 Based on what you have read so far, list 10 adjectives that you
would use to describe their looks, personality, behavior,
thoughts, feelings, etc.
Characterization
(an acceptable example, level 8)
Text
“Great rosebushes of red bloomed
on Victor’s cheeks. A river of
nervous sweat ran down his palms.
He felt awful. Teresa sat a few
desks away, no doubt thinking he
was a fool. Without looking at Mr.
Bueller, Victor mumbled, “Frenchie
oh wewe gee in September” (Soto,
17)
Response
The first thing this passage tells us
about Victor is that he obviously
doesn’t know French. It also shows
that he gets nervous very easily,
especially around Teresa, the girl he has
a crush on. In this scene, Victor is
trying to impress Teresa by pretending
to be something he’s not. This shows
us that he is willing to risk
embarrassment to get her attention.
This behavior seems pretty normal for
a teenaged boy with his first crush.
Characterization
(an exceptional example, level 10)
Text
“Her face as she sat there was a
frightened, broken face utterly
unlike the face of the woman who
had been so assured a little while
ago in the drugstore... When she
reached out and lifted the kettle to
pour hot water in her cup, her hand
trembled and the water splashed on
the stove. Leaning back in the
chair, she sighed and lifted the cup
to her lips”
(Callaghan, 3).
Response
This passage shows that Mrs. Higgins is not
the picture of calm confidence that she
displayed in the drugstore. Through years of
dealing with Alfred’s poor decision making,
she has obviously learned how to master the
art of friendly persuasion, but it is all just a
façade. These lines from the text show us that
she is afraid, most likely for Alfred’s future,
for her daughter’s future, and for her own
physical and emotional well-being. Callaghan
describes her face as “broken,” which suggests
that she just cannot bear any more pain; she
has been hurt beyond repair. It could also
symbolize the broken bond between her and
her son. Her trembling shows her fear and
suggests that she has been aged beyond her
years because of the stress that Alfred has
caused in her life. When she leans back and
sighs, it is as if with hopeless resignation. She
accepts her bleak reality, takes a sip, and life
goes on.
Characterization
(an exceptional example, level 10)
Text
“Her face as she sat there was a
frightened, broken face utterly
unlike the face of the woman who
had been so assured a little while
ago in the drugstore... When she
reached out and lifted the kettle to
pour hot water in her cup, her hand
trembled and the water splashed on
the stove. Leaning back in the
chair, she sighed and lifted the cup
to her lips”
(Callaghan, 3).
Response
This passage shows that Mrs. Higgins is not
the picture of calm confidence that she
displayed in the drugstore. Through years of
dealing with Alfred’s poor decision making,
she has obviously learned how to master the
art of friendly persuasion, but it is all just a
façade. These lines from the text show us that
she is afraid, most likely for Alfred’s future,
for her daughter’s future, and for her own
physical and emotional well-being. Callaghan
describes her face as “broken,” which suggests
that she just cannot bear any more pain; she
has been hurt beyond repair. It could also
symbolize the broken bond between her and
her son. Her trembling shows her fear and
suggests that she has been aged beyond her
years because of the stress that Alfred has
caused in her life. When she leans back and
sighs, it is as if with hopeless resignation. She
accepts her bleak reality, takes a sip, and life
goes on.