Transcript Characterization and Point of View

Characterization and Point of
View
Think about a movie or play, and what it
takes to transform an actor into the
character they’re playing…
• Clothes and makeup
• The way they talk, accents, their voice
• Gestures, the way they walk, facial
expressions
This is all carefully chosen by the director or the
actor to help them become the character
Character traits- qualities shown by
characters, what they’re like
• Can be directly described, but more often
indirectly shown, you have to infer, or make an
educated guess
• Methods include: - physical appearance;
speech, thoughts and actions; how they relate
to other characters
• Tool= character web
Example: Direct Characterization
“Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone,
Scrooge. a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping,
clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint,
from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire;
secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster…
External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge.
No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him.
No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow
was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less
open to entreaty.”
-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Character Motivation- reasons behind
his or her actions
• Can be direct, or indirect
• Look for details, including: narrator’s direct
comments about character’s motivation;
character’s actions, thoughts, feelings, values,
interactions with other characters; what you
know about how humans act
Point of View- perspective from which
story is told
• 1st person: narrator is in the story, telling it,
uses I, me, presents his own thoughts/
feelings, doesn’t know what other characters
are thinking
• 3rd person: narrator is outside the story, is
omniscient if he knows the thoughts/feelings
of all characters, is limited if he focuses on the
thoughts/ feelings of one character
and for fun…
Impact on reader
• 1st person: feels like the narrator is talking to
you, can’t always trust their interpretation of
events (Rainsford), your understanding of
characters/ events limited to what’s around
narrator
• 3rd person: might feel less personally
connected to the story, more likely to learn
about characters/events and what multiple
characters are thinking
Point of view affects interpretation!