Although you may have some real "characters" in your class, most students are not naturally adept at clearly defining and describing characters encountered in works of literature that they've studied.
Character Building Lessons
#1. Charting Characters:
To help students define character, divide the board into 4 sections headed:
physical description
what he/she does
what he/she says
how OTHER characters react to him/her
Then, read a short story together in class. Select a story that has a strong, well-defined central [main] character, preferably by an author whose focus is on character. When you get to details in the story that fit into one of these categories, pause and ask students to fill in these details about the main character in the appropriate columns of their charts. After the story has been completed, discuss and compare, filling in the "master" chart on the board for all students to copy.
In the future, have students fill in a similar chart independently for each story that they read.
#2. FLAT and ROUND CHARACTERS
A flat character is a one-sided or one-dimensional character about whom few details are known.
A round character is a multi-faceted, complex character. Enough information is given about this type of character so that the reader can ascertain his/her personality, motives, etc.
#3. STATIC and DYNAMIC CHARACTERS
A static character is a character who remains constant. This type of character will not experience a change "of heart" or of personality, although the character may experience a physical change. For example, a static character may grow older or may die, but if his personality remains the same, he is unchanged.
A dynamic character is one who experiences change or growth. The dynamic character's transformation may not always be "growth" in a positive direction. A "good" character who disintegrates into villany is a dynamic character as much as a "bad" guy who reforms is. The "growth" or development of the character is generally tied to elements of the conflict. In a main character, a transformation is a clue to unlocking the theme.
#4. Character Sketch or Character Analysis
When students have an understanding of these facets of characterization, they are ready to write the character analysis. The well-written characterization is written as a paragraph, mentioning the above details. For the first one, students should use the chart from #1 [above] to organize their comments in a logical way, progressing from the obvious [physical description] to the more complex [how other characters react to the main character].
For example:
#1. Charting Characters:
To help students define character, divide the board into 4 sections headed:
physical description
what he/she does
what he/she says
how OTHER characters react to him/her
Then, read a short story together in class. Select a story that has a strong, well-defined central [main] character, preferably by an author whose focus is on character. When you get to details in the story that fit into one of these categories, pause and ask students to fill in these details about the main character in the appropriate columns of their charts. After the story has been completed, discuss and compare, filling in the "master" chart on the board for all students to copy.
In the future, have students fill in a similar chart independently for each story that they read.
#2. FLAT and ROUND CHARACTERS
A flat character is a one-sided or one-dimensional character about whom few details are known.
A round character is a multi-faceted, complex character. Enough information is given about this type of character so that the reader can ascertain his/her personality, motives, etc.
#3. STATIC and DYNAMIC CHARACTERS
A static character is a character who remains constant. This type of character will not experience a change "of heart" or of personality, although the character may experience a physical change. For example, a static character may grow older or may die, but if his personality remains the same, he is unchanged.
A dynamic character is one who experiences change or growth. The dynamic character's transformation may not always be "growth" in a positive direction. A "good" character who disintegrates into villany is a dynamic character as much as a "bad" guy who reforms is. The "growth" or development of the character is generally tied to elements of the conflict. In a main character, a transformation is a clue to unlocking the theme.
#4. Character Sketch or Character Analysis
When students have an understanding of these facets of characterization, they are ready to write the character analysis. The well-written characterization is written as a paragraph, mentioning the above details. For the first one, students should use the chart from #1 [above] to organize their comments in a logical way, progressing from the obvious [physical description] to the more complex [how other characters react to the main character].
For example:
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