CharacterizationEnglish II

Austin High School

Pop Quiz: How does this story Change?

What? Why?

We look at characters as part of the key to finding out the author’s true meaning. Characters are an INTEGRAL part of presenting the author’s theme.

When you read, you need to look at how characters: - LOOK – SPEAK – ACT - HOW OTHERS ACT- HOW THEY CHANGE - HOW OTHERS CHANGE AS A RESULT OF KNOWING THE CHARACTER.

If you want to know why this is relevant at all to your life…

Analysis Scrutinize

BreakdownExamine ExploreInquire

If you can learn to look beyond the surface of stories, and we’ll start with character, you will inevitable build

the part of your brain that critically thinks.

Then, you can argue, persuade, alter your perspective and view elements of life through a much more

unbiased lens.

So, let’s begin with character.

Protagonist vs. Antagonist

• A student once said, “isn’t an antagonist always a protagonist in his own eyes?”

• True – but the protagonist always faces the BIGGEST CONFLICT (that’s how you know)

• Antagonist AGGRAVATES the biggest conflict

P ANow think of another

protagonist and antagonist. Who were they, and what was the

MAIN conflict.

STATIC vs. DYNAMIC

• Static Characters stay the same• Dynamic (means changing) characters change

as a result of the conflict

The conflict changes the character.

Otherwise, they STAY STATIC.

Foil Characters

Simply put: They have a bunch in common (usually age and looks)

BUT

It is their DIFFERENCES that speak volumes about the protagonist.

How are these foils? Can you think of other foil

characters?What truth do their

contradictions offer?

Flat vs. Round Characters

• Flat characters are predictable and easy to figure out

• Round characters are more complicated and usually much more dynamic.Can you think of another

example of each?

Stock Characters

• These are characters that you see over and over again

• AKA – archetypes or tropes • It is a sort of “go to” character that an author

can input into the story.

•The Insincere Man (Eironeia)•The Flatterer (Kolakeia)•The Garrulous Man (Adoleschia)•The Boor (Agroikia)•The Complacent Man (Areskeia)•The Man without Moral Feeling (Aponoia)•The Talkative Man (Lalia)•The Fabricator (Logopoiia)•The Shamelessly Greedy Man (Anaischuntia)•The Pennypincher (Mikrologia)

•The Offensive Man (Bdeluria)•The Hapless Man (Akairia)•The Officious Man (Periergia)•The Absent-Minded Man (Anaisthesia)•The Unsociable Man (Authadeia)•The Superstitious Man (Deisidaimonia)•The Faultfinder (Mempsimoiria)•The Suspicious Man (Apistia)•The Repulsive Man (Duschereia)•The Unpleasant Man (Aedia)

SOME EXAMPLES OF STOCK CHARACTERS

Can you think of any you’ve seen before?

•The Man of Petty Ambition (Mikrophilotimia)•The Stingy Man (Aneleutheria)•The Show-Off (Alazoneia)•The Arrogant Man (Huperephania)•The Coward (Deilia)•The Oligarchical Man (Oligarchia)•The Late Learner (Opsimathia)•The Slanderer (Kakologia)•The Lover of Bad Company (Philoponeria)•The Basely Covetous Man (Aischrokerdeia)

The “dumb blonde” hasbeen used in SEVERAL

stories.

Direct Characterization

• The author directly tells us something about the character

• You can physically touch the words on paper that describe the character

• Susie was a mean little girl. Direct. Obvious. Clear.

Indirect Characterization

• This requires you to make an INFERENCE about the character based on the words the author gives.

• …so you can’t touch the words directly. • Susie was a mean little girl stepped on the tails

of kittens, yet, internally, she felt stepped on by those more powerful than her. Not so direct. What does it really say about Susie?

Examples of Character Traits• Loyal, faithful, trustworthy• Friendly, social, outgoing• Determined, strong-minded• Arrogant, conceited• Prideful• Hopeless, desperate, doomed• Strange, bizarre, odd• Pious, Virtuous, righteous• Obsessive, immature, fanatical • Weak, pathetic

• Romantic, dreamy• Faithful, true• Selfish or Selfless• Shameless, lustful• Sinful, corrupt, evil• Intelligent, Bright, Clever• Ignorant• Loving, affectionate• Fearful, anxious, timid• Immoral, depraved• Conflicted• Impractical, goofy• Timid, shy, antisocial

Watch this clip thinking about character…

• CLIP!• CLIP 2!

Analyze using the S.A.T.D.O. Method- Says- Appears- Thinks- Does- Others do

Then answer this:

What is this author trying to tell us, convey or

represent by the use of this character. Try to use the

academic terminology that we’ve just learned.