Characters

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Characters

• SPI 0701.8.6
• I can identify how the author reveals character.
• Textbook pg 128-130

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Types of Characters

• Major characters
• Minor characters
• Antagonists
• Protagonists

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Characterization

• A writer reveals what a character is like and how
  the character changes throughout the story.
• Two primary methods of characterization
• Direct- writer tells what the character is like
• Indirect- writer shows what a character is like
  by describing what the character looks like, by
  telling what the character says and does, and by
  what other characters say about and do in
  response to the character.

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Direct Characterization
And I dont play the dozens or believe in
standing around with somebody in my face doing a
lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down
and take my chances even if Im a little girl
with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is
how I got the name Squeaky. From Raymonds
Run by T. Bambara
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Indirect Characterization
The old man bowed to all of us in the room.
Then he removed his hat and gloves, slowly and
carefully. Chaplin once did that in a picture,
in a bank--he was the janitor. From Gentleman
of Rio en Medio by J. Sedillo
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Factors in Analyzing Characters

• Physical appearance of character
• Personality
• Background/personal history
• Motivation
• Relationships
• Conflict
• Does character change?

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How does an author reveal character?

• What the author tells us
• What the characters say about him/her
• What the character does
• What the character says
• What the character thinks

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How does an author show what a character is like?

• Appearance
• Does the character have laugh lines?
• How is the character dressed?
• Action
• John danced around the room singing to the music.
• Speech
• I dont have to do what you say!

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How does an author show what a character is like?

• Thoughts Feelings
• You read what the character is thinking
• Julie wanted to cry when she saw the stray cat
• Other characters reaction
• What do other characters think about this
  character?
• What do they say about him/her?
• If a character is negative about everyone, you
  may learn more about him/her than others.

10
Protagonist

• The main character in a story is called the
  protagonist. She or he is always involved in the
  main conflict and its resolution.

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Antagonist

• The person opposing the protagonist is called the
  antagonist.
• The character that causes or leads the conflict
  against the protagonist is called the antagonist.
  The antagonist is not always human, but can be a
  group or force as well.

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Theme

• SPI 0701.8.5
• I can identify the stated or implied theme of a
  literary text.
• Textbook pg 236-238

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Theme

• Is the truth about life that you discover from
  reading the story

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What is it not?

• Theme is not
• The plot
• The topic of the story

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Theme

• A central message, concern, or insight into life
  expressed through a literary work
• Can be expressed by one or two sentence statement
  about human beings or about life
• May be stated directly or implied
• Interpretation uncovers the theme

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Stated or Implied Theme

• Most themes are  implied rather than directly
  stated by an author. 
• When the theme is implied, the reader must figure
  out what the theme is by looking carefully at
  what the work reveals about people, about the
  relationships between people, and about life. 

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How can I find the theme?

• How has the main character changed over the
  course of the story?
• What has he/she discovered by the end of the
  story?
• What scenes or passages strike you as especially
  important to the story?
• What ideas about life do they suggest?

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How can I find the theme?

• What is the storys title? Does it reveal
  anything special about the story?
• What lesson did the character(s) learn?
• How can I apply this to real life?

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Which one is theme?

• A family travels to Alabama and faces hardships
  along the way.
• Prejudice
• Facing your fears is the only way to overcome
  them.
• Happiness can be found in the joys of ordinary
  life.

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Explore theme and plot

• Read Hearts and Hands by O. Henry
• Pages 239-242
• Identify the ..
• Plot
• Topic
• Theme

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Words to Know

• Major Character
• Minor Character
• Antagonists
• Protagonists

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Identify Characters

• List all the characters from Duffys Jacket
• Identify what the type of each character
• Major or minor
• Protagonist or Antagonist
• How did the author reveal their character?