Lesson 28 — Activity 2: Character


You should have read between 75 and 100 pages before beginning this activity.



Characters:

  • can be another very important element in a novel. Without a character, there would be no story. The reader learns more and more about each character as the story progresses
Characters come in all shapes and sizes.

Courtesy of Pixabay

First, you should think about how the character has been presented.



Courtesy of Pixabay


Direct presentation:
  • Think of it in terms of reading a resume. A resume directly states many characteristics about a person. It may identify the person as being honest, reliable, hard working, and a team player. It makes direct statements about the person.

Indirect presentation:
  • You may watch a movie or play and think that a character is reliable, trustworthy, or honest, but you have drawn these conclusions by watching what the person did, listening to what he or she said, or listening to what others said about the character. This is indirect presentation.
  • An author can reveal a character indirectly in the same way. It is almost impossible to read a story without getting to know at least the protagonist.

Besides knowing what a character is like, another thing to think about is how much is known about a particular character.

The following terms are used to determine the type of character presented in a story:



 

Round character: 
  • Most protagonists are round characters as the reader learns quite a lot about this them.  



Courtesy of Pixabay

 

Flat character:
  • The reader is given little information about such a character.
  • This usually applies to minor characters in a story.

Courtesy of Pixabay


Stock character:
  • Another name for this type of character is stereotype. This is a character that is identified with a particular group and there is an automatic assumption as to how this person will perform. For example, a spoiled rich girl, an athlete, a street punk, or someone who only cares about himself and how much money he has!

          
Courtesy of Pixabay



It is also important to see whether or not a character changes as a result of his or her experiences.

Static character:
  • Just as some people refuse to change their attitudes or don’t seem to learn from their mistakes, not all characters in stories grow as a result of their experiences. A character that stays the same is said to be static.

 

 
Courtesy of  Pixabay

        

Dynamic character:
  • Have you had an experience in your life from which you have learned something? Has something ever happened to you that has made you examine your own beliefs, attitudes, or values? You may have changed them or perhaps your experience has made you even stronger in your beliefs. This means you are a dynamic character as you have undergone a change.
  • This term only applies to a round character because this is the only type of character about whom a reader knows enough to know whether or not a change has occurred.

         

Courtesy of Pixabay

 

Reading Journal



Journal Entry #8

Think about the main character in your novel. In your journal, draw a picture of what you think the main character looks like. Then, write about the main character, and tell what you think about him or her so far.


Continue to read your novel.


While reading, continue with the Vocabulary Activity.

  • Again, list words that are unfamiliar and are interesting and worth learning on the Vocabulary Log you have begun. Between now and when you finish the novel, look for at least 10 more words and note their page numbers.