Characters

• Types of Characters

• Types of Characterization

CharacterThe people (or animals, items, etc.

presented as people) appearing in a literary work.

Types of Characters:

Round

Flat

Dynamic

Static

Development

Change

Amount of character development

• Round Character: is fully developed, convincing, true to life.

• Flat Character: stereotyped, shallow, often symbolic, not fully developed; know only one-side of the character.

Amount of change in a character

• Dynamic Character: undergoes some basic character change in story; that is characterized by energy of effective action: vigorously active or forceful;energetic

• Static Character: does not change in the course of the story or changes very little

Methods of Characterization

1.Direct

2. Indirect

Direct Characterization

1. Direct: “he was an old man..” (The Old Man and the Sea)

• Information provided to the reader from the author

• Details stated as facts

Methods of Characterization

Indirect Characterization• Physical appearance

Methods of Characterization

Usually Hamadi was wearing a white shirt, shiny black tie, and a jacket that reminded Susan of the earth’s surface just above the treeline on a mountain—thin, somehow purified.

from “Hamadi” by Naomi Shihab Nye

Indirect Characterization• Actions

Methods of Characterization

Disregarding the song of the birds, the wav-ing green trees, and the smell of the flowers, Jimmy headed straight for a restaurant.

from “A Retrieved Reformation” by O. Henry

Indirect Characterization• Own Words

Methods of Characterization

“I cannot help these people yet,” he calmlytold me. “But when the time comes, I will help them all that I can.”

from “Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story” by Ken Mochizuki

Indirect Characterization• Thoughts and feelings

Methods of Characterization

Although she warned that she hadn’t tried her hand at baking sweets for some time, I was certain that like everything else about her the cookies would be perfect.

from “Mrs. Flowers” by Maya Angelou

Indirect Characterization• Character relationship

Methods of Characterization

“Now, Valentine,” said the warden, “you’ll go out in the morning. Brace up, and make a man of yourself. You’re not a bad fellow at heart. Stop cracking safes, andlive straight.”

from “A Retrieved Reformation” by O. Henry