QuickWrite 8.21 On a clean sheet of Notebook paper, respond to these questions in COMPLETE sentences: What are the first things you notice about a person when you meet them? What do people have to do to make a good impression on you? What actions would result in someone making a bad impression on you? Why?

Unit 1 Essential Questions Why do we value stories? Why do fictional characters matter to our real lives? What makes a great character? What makes a story compelling? Why is conflict necessary in a story? How does setting effect how we understand a story?

Characterization, Inference, and Conflict

Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.” Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

There are five different methods of indirect characterization: Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different methods of indirect characterization: Speech Thoughts Effect on Others Actions Looks

Speech What does the character say? How does the character speak? We look at their dialogue, or their conversations with other characters in the story.

Thoughts What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings? The author lets us see into the character’s head. This is where internal conflict comes in.

Effect on Others What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character? We look at the character’s relationships. This is where external conflict can come into play.

Actions What does the character do? How does the character behave?

Looks What does the character look like? How does the character dress? We are looking at the physical description of the character.