Think-Write-Pair-Share

1
Think-Write-Pair-Share

• Think about your favorite character youve seen
  on tv/movies or read in a book.
• Write
• In 2-3 sentences, describe who the character is.
• In 3-4 sentences, discuss whether or not you are
  able to identify with the character, and why/why
  not.
• Pair-share
• With a group member, share your responses.

2
Characterization

• How do writers bring characters to life?

3
What is characterization?

• Characterization is the way writers create and
  describe a character for the reader.
• There are two types of characterization

• Direct characterization

• Indirect characterization

4
Direct characterization

• When writers use direct characterization in
  their writing, they tell us what type of
  character we are reading about

• From Ambush
• He was a short, slender young man of about twenty
• He wore black clothing and rubber sandals and a
  gray ammunition belt. His shoulders were
  slightly stooped, his head cocked to the side as
  if listening for something. He seemed at ease.
  He carried his weapon in one hand, muzzle down,
  moving without any hurry up the center of the
  trail.

As readers, we dont have to wonder about what
the VietCong soldier looks like or what his
demeanor is. The writer TOLD us ? DIRECTLY.
5
For the character that corresponds to your
number, provide a detail of him or her using
direct characterization.
3
1
2
6
Indirect characterization

• Writers most often use indirect characterization
  to show (not tell) things that reveal the
  personality of a character
• The characters speech,
• The characters thoughts,
• The effect the character has on others,
• The characters actions,
• The physical looks of the character

7
Indirect characterization

• It is more like the way we learn about people in
  real life because we naturally observe people and
  characters in films, etc. to figure out
  his/her/its personality.
• Remember the word, STEAL

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STEAL

• The letters in the word STEAL can help you
  remember the five different ways writers use
  indirect characterization to create characters
• S stands for SPEECH.
• Why it works
• Writers help readers learn about a character by
  giving the character something to say and a
  unique way to say it. This brings out the
• personality of characters

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STEAL

• T stands for THOUGHTS.
• What can we learn about the character through
  reading his/her/its private thoughts?
• Why it works
• Writers allow readers to learn the private
  thoughts of characters to learn the
• personality of characters.

10
STEAL

• E stands for
• EFFECT ON OTHERS
• What can be learned about the character by
  reading how other characters feel or act around
  the him/her/it?
• Why it works
• Writers create relationships for characters to
  help readers learn the personality of characters.

11
STEAL

• A stands for ACTIONS.
• What does the character do?
• How does the character behave?
• Why it works
• Writers create actions for characters
• to help readers learn the
• personality of characters.

12
STEAL

• L stands for LOOKS.
• What does the character look like?
• How does the character dress?
• Why it works
• Writers use descriptions of characters physical
  attributes to help readers learn the
• personality of characters.

13
For the character that corresponds to your
number, provide a detail of him or her using one
STEAL indirect characterization strategy.
3
1
2
14
Direct or Indirect?

• Look at this example and figure out if the writer
  used direct or indirect characterization
• From The Outsiders
• (Sodapop talking to Ponyboy)

I'm happy working at a gas station. Working with
cars. I'm dumb. It's alright, I don't mind.
You're not Pony. You'd never be happy doing
something like that.
15
Direct or Indirect?

• Look at this example and figure out if the writer
  used direct or
• indirect characterization to help us figure out
  the personality of
• Dallas Winston (Dally) in this passage
• From The Outsiders
• (Dally talking with Johnny)

Johnny, you don't know what a few months in jail
can do to you, man. You get mean in jail, I just
don't wanna see that happen to you like it
happened to me, man. Understand?
16
Think-Write-Pair-Share

• Think about the character known as narrator in
  Ambush by Tim OBrien (page 81 in your SIR)
• Write
• In 2-3 sentences, explain the emotions the
  narrator experiences in the beginning-middle-end
  of the story.
• In 3-4 sentences, discuss whether or not you are
  empathetic to the narrator, and why/why not.
• Pair-share
• Pair up with one person from the opposite side fo
  the room and share your responses.