1. Characterization and Narrator’s Voice Cornell Notes

2. Characterization: The Basics
Refers to the techniques a writer uses to bring characters to life.
Can be Direct or Indirect.
Readers must use inference skills.

3. Characterization: The Basics
Readers learn about a character’s personality through:
Author’s comments
What the character thinks, does, says, feels, looks like
Other characters reactions/interactions

4. Direct Characterization
Narrator (or another character) directly states details about a character in the text.

5. Direct Characterization
Example: Jason was a tall, broad shouldered football player who always had a smile on his face.

6. Indirect Characterization
Requires the reader to look for clues that reveal a character’s traits and motivation
When looking for indirect characterization, think about all the following:
What a character does (actions)
What a character thinks
What a character says (dialogue)
What other characters say and how they react

7. Indirect Characterization
Example: Jody ran up the stairs to her room, tears streaming down her face, and slammed her door loudly, hoping her mother would hear.

8. STEAL Character Analysis
Indirect Characterization:
Questions to ask yourself:
Speech
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts
What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?
Effect on others or toward the character
What is revealed by the characters effect on other characters? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions
What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks
What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

9. Character Development
Characters, just like people, develop over time (the story).
Some develop more than others.

10. Flat or Round? Flat Characters: Round Characters: Stereotypical
Well-developed
Less-developed
Both good and bad
One-sided
Like a real person
Less realistic

11. Static or Dynamic? Static Characters: Dynamic Characters:
Doesn’t grow as a person or character
Learns an important lesson
Grows as a person or character
Doesn’t really change
Changes in some way

12. Narrator’s Voice Who is telling the story? 1st Person:
Narrator is telling the reader a story that happened to the narrator.
2nd Person:
Narrator is telling the reader a story that happens to the reader.

13. Narrator’s Voice Who is telling the story? 3rd Person:
Narrator is telling the reader a story that happens to a group of characters (narrator is not a part of the story).
Think of it like a bird’s eye view.
Different types of story involvement.

14. Narrator’s Voice Who is telling the story? 3rd Person:
Omniscient: Narrator is an objective observer and knows everything about all of the characters (all knowing).
Limited: Narrator is an observer but only knows about a specific character(s) perspective.

15. Do you trust me?
Narrators, just like people, can sometimes be unreliable when telling the story.
Important: the narrator and the author of a story ARE NOT THE SAME PERSON.

16. Reliable Narrator
Objective narration: accurately observes and records reality of the story
Shares values of the reader; creates trust with the reader
Has a lot of knowledge about the events and characters of the story

17. Unreliable Narrator Subjective Narration
Not trustworthy or credible; might lie on purpose out of self-interest.
Denies his/her role in events of the story.
Expresses ideas or values reader may find not agree with; lacks a “moral compass.”

18. Unreliable Narrator
May be mentally unstable or have a mental disability.
Tells events accurately but interprets them in a way that is at odds with the reader.