1. “Thank You M’am” pg 120 People in life and in fiction tend to show their true character when they are in stressful situations. In this story, two characters have a tense encounter. The writer lets their actions and their words (or their silences) tell us about the kind of people they are – or could be.

2. Character – The Actors in the Story Character – An individual in a story, poem or play. Always has human traits, even if the character is an animal.

3. Characterization – Ways to develop characters Writers portray the personalities of characters through a variety of methods. –Direct Characterization – The author directly describes the character’s traits or special qualities. –“Bob is a very happy person.”

4. Indirect Characterization Indirect Characterization – The author indirectly describes the character’s traits or special qualities, through: –Appearance –Actions –Speech –Thoughts –How people respond to the character. With this method, a writer shows rather than tells the reader what the character is like.

5. Types of Characters Flat Characters Round Characters

6. Flat A flat character has no depth. Such a character has one or two key personality traits and can be described in a single sentence.

7. Round A round character is fleshed out. He or she is more complex and have depth. Flat and round characters are both used in literature.

8. “Thank You M’am” -Assignment Answer questions 1,2,4,5, and 6. Write a newspaper article about the events from the story. –Must be at least one page long. –Include at least two quotes from fake interviews. –Have a catchy headline –Include the five W’s (What, who, when, where and why.)