UNIT 2 NOTESUNIT 2 NOTES

Character Types, Character Types, Characterization, Conflict, Characterization, Conflict,

Point of ViewPoint of View

Part 1Part 1

Character TypesCharacter Types

What is a character?What is a character?

•A A character character is any is any personality in a story or personality in a story or poempoem

•Usually human, but animals, Usually human, but animals, objects, cities, and weather objects, cities, and weather can all be portrayed as can all be portrayed as characters characters

Types of charactersTypes of characters

•The main character of a story The main character of a story is called the is called the protagonistprotagonist

•Usually, the point of a story is Usually, the point of a story is to see if the protagonist can to see if the protagonist can get what he/she wantsget what he/she wants

•The thing a protagonist wants The thing a protagonist wants is called his or her is called his or her motivationmotivation

Examples: Examples: Protagonists+MotivationProtagonists+Motivation

• Bob is a baby Bob is a baby • He wants to sleepHe wants to sleep• His brother won’t His brother won’t

let him sleeplet him sleep• The story will be The story will be

about Bob’s quest about Bob’s quest to thwart his to thwart his brother and go to brother and go to sleep anywaysleep anyway

Examples: Examples: Protagonists+MotivationProtagonists+Motivation• Henrietta is green Henrietta is green • Henrietta wants to Henrietta wants to

go to Marsgo to Mars• People with swords People with swords

don’t want don’t want Henrietta to go to Henrietta to go to MarsMars

• The story will show The story will show how Henrietta tries how Henrietta tries to get to Marsto get to Mars

Types of characters Types of characters continuedcontinued• Notice that oftentimes someone Notice that oftentimes someone

stands between the protagonist and stands between the protagonist and his/her motivationhis/her motivation

• A character that goes against the A character that goes against the protagonist is called an protagonist is called an antagonistantagonist

• Antagonists may be bad guys, but Antagonists may be bad guys, but sometimes they are good guys that sometimes they are good guys that simply want the opposite thing of the simply want the opposite thing of the protagonistprotagonist

Types of characters Types of characters continuedcontinued•Real humans Real humans

are complex. are complex. We might seem We might seem to be one thing to be one thing (a stereotype) (a stereotype) when in reality when in reality we’re so much we’re so much moremore

I know physics!

Types of characters Types of characters continuedcontinued

•A complex character is A complex character is called a called a Round CharacterRound Character

•Can have conflicting Can have conflicting feelings and all the feelings and all the complexities of real complexities of real humans.humans.

Types of characters Types of characters continuedcontinued

•A more predictable type of A more predictable type of character is called a character is called a Flat Flat CharacterCharacter

•Will never surprise us by Will never surprise us by doing the opposite of what doing the opposite of what we expectwe expect

Round vs. Flat CharactersRound vs. Flat Characters•Mr. Evil is a bad guy. He beats Mr. Evil is a bad guy. He beats

up orphans and takes money up orphans and takes money from homeless people. Once, from homeless people. Once, Mr. Good offered him $50 to be Mr. Good offered him $50 to be nice for a day, but he set the nice for a day, but he set the money on fire and used it to money on fire and used it to burn Mr. Good’s house downburn Mr. Good’s house down

•Flat characterFlat character

Round vs. Flat CharactersRound vs. Flat Characters•Mr. Good is a good guy. He Mr. Good is a good guy. He

gives sandwiches to orphans gives sandwiches to orphans and builds houses for and builds houses for homeless people. Once, Mr. homeless people. Once, Mr. Bad offered him $50 to be Bad offered him $50 to be mean for a day, but he mean for a day, but he refused to take it. refused to take it.

•Flat characterFlat character

Round vs. Flat CharactersRound vs. Flat Characters• Mr. Jones is a normal guy. He goes to Mr. Jones is a normal guy. He goes to

work, and when homeless people ask work, and when homeless people ask him for money, he starts walking him for money, he starts walking faster because he’s scared. He wants faster because he’s scared. He wants to be nice to them, he just doesn’t to be nice to them, he just doesn’t want to get mugged. One day, he want to get mugged. One day, he discovers Mr. Evil has burned his discovers Mr. Evil has burned his house down, and that now he house down, and that now he is is a a homeless person. Luckily, Mr. Good homeless person. Luckily, Mr. Good arrives and builds him a new house, arrives and builds him a new house, and Mr. Jones swears to always be and Mr. Jones swears to always be nicer to homeless people.nicer to homeless people.

• Round characterRound character

Round vs. Flat CharactersRound vs. Flat Characters• Ms. Flowers is a nice woman. She teaches Ms. Flowers is a nice woman. She teaches

orphans on her free time, gives lots of orphans on her free time, gives lots of money to charity, and volunteers at the money to charity, and volunteers at the homeless shelter. One day, though, a homeless shelter. One day, though, a homeless man named Mr. Jones homeless man named Mr. Jones approaches her. He doesn’t mean any approaches her. He doesn’t mean any harm, but she doesn’t know that, and ends harm, but she doesn’t know that, and ends up accidentally killing him. She is horrified up accidentally killing him. She is horrified by what she’s done, but in her panic she by what she’s done, but in her panic she hires Mr. Evil, who cuts up Mr. Jones’s hires Mr. Evil, who cuts up Mr. Jones’s body and feeds it to pigs. She continues to body and feeds it to pigs. She continues to be a nice person from then on, but be a nice person from then on, but somehow nothing’s ever the same. somehow nothing’s ever the same.

• Round characterRound character

Types of characters Types of characters continuedcontinued

•““Round” and “Flat” Round” and “Flat” describe how complex or describe how complex or simple a character issimple a character is

•Sometimes confused with Sometimes confused with “Dynamic” and “Static”“Dynamic” and “Static”

•Not the sameNot the same

Types of characters Types of characters continuedcontinued

•Dynamic characterDynamic character- - experiences a change by experiences a change by the end of a story the end of a story

•Static characterStatic character- does - does not change, evernot change, ever

Round/Flat vs. Round/Flat vs. Dynamic/StaticDynamic/Static• Characters are combinations of round/flat Characters are combinations of round/flat

and dynamic/staticand dynamic/static• Ms. Flowers is a round character because Ms. Flowers is a round character because

she is capable of both good and evil.she is capable of both good and evil.• She is also a dynamic character, because She is also a dynamic character, because

at the beginning of the story she seems to at the beginning of the story she seems to be pure good, but be pure good, but something happenssomething happens that causes her to seem partially evil, toothat causes her to seem partially evil, too

• She’s emotionally complex She’s emotionally complex andand experiences a change. experiences a change. Round Round andand DynamicDynamic

Part 2Part 2

CharacterizationCharacterization

CharacterizationCharacterization

•CharacterizationCharacterization—how the —how the author teaches the reader author teaches the reader about a character’s about a character’s personalitypersonality

•Refers to personality, not Refers to personality, not necessarily physical necessarily physical appearance appearance

Characterization has two Characterization has two forms…forms…

•Direct CharacterizationDirect Characterization—when —when the author tells the reader the author tells the reader precisely what to think of a precisely what to think of a charactercharacter

•““Mr. Lindy was evil.”Mr. Lindy was evil.”•““Mrs. Butters loves muffins.”Mrs. Butters loves muffins.”•““Bob was smarter than the other Bob was smarter than the other

goats.” goats.”

Characterization has two Characterization has two forms…forms…• Indirect CharacterizationIndirect Characterization—when the reader —when the reader

must figure out what a character’s personality is must figure out what a character’s personality is like based off of clueslike based off of clues

• Every night at 7:30, Mr. Lindy kicked his puppy.Every night at 7:30, Mr. Lindy kicked his puppy.• Mrs. Butters was getting larger all the time. She Mrs. Butters was getting larger all the time. She

couldn’t stop eating muffins.couldn’t stop eating muffins.• Bob the goat stepped into the time machine he’d Bob the goat stepped into the time machine he’d

just invented. just invented. ““Do you want to come with me?” he asked Do you want to come with me?” he asked

Linda.Linda.““Baaaah!” said Linda.Baaaah!” said Linda.““I guess I’ll take that as a ‘no,’” said Bob, as I guess I’ll take that as a ‘no,’” said Bob, as

he zapped into the future.he zapped into the future.

Indirect Characterization Indirect Characterization (cont)(cont)•Indirect Characterization Indirect Characterization

can happen in a number of can happen in a number of waysways

•The way a character actsThe way a character acts•Things people say about a Things people say about a

charactercharacter•Things the character says Things the character says

himself/herselfhimself/herself•The way a character dressesThe way a character dresses

Now you try…Now you try…

•Think of a character. Create Think of a character. Create something that they either something that they either love love or or hate.hate.

•Now, write a sentence that Now, write a sentence that tells us that they love or hate tells us that they love or hate something. something.

•You’ve just You’ve just directly directly characterized characterized them.them.

Now you try…Now you try…

•Now, using the same Now, using the same character, write a sentence character, write a sentence that that showsshows your character your character loving or hating their object.loving or hating their object.

•You’ve just You’ve just indirectly indirectly characterized characterized them them through their actions.through their actions.

Now you try…Now you try…

•Now, using the same character, Now, using the same character, write a sentence describing write a sentence describing your character wearing a T-shirt your character wearing a T-shirt that explains what they love or that explains what they love or hate.hate.

•You’ve just You’ve just indirectly indirectly characterized characterized them through them through their physical appearance.their physical appearance.

Part 3Part 3

ConflictConflict

ConflictConflict

•ConflictConflict—any force —any force between the protagonist between the protagonist and his or her desiresand his or her desires

•Any problem the Any problem the protagonist facesprotagonist faces

ConflictConflict

• External Conflict External Conflict refers to a refers to a problem that comes from problem that comes from outside the protagonistoutside the protagonist

• Examples include:Examples include:Another person (antagonist)Another person (antagonist)A situation, such as being on A situation, such as being on

firefireThe weather. A sailor having a The weather. A sailor having a

conflict with a stormconflict with a storm

ConflictConflict

• Internal Conflict Internal Conflict refers to a refers to a problem that comes from within problem that comes from within the protagonistthe protagonist

• Examples include:Examples include: A tough decision (“What should I A tough decision (“What should I

wear today?”)wear today?”) Emotional distress (“I don’t know Emotional distress (“I don’t know

if I can handle English class if I can handle English class today.”)today.”)

Fears (“I’m scared of clowns!”)Fears (“I’m scared of clowns!”)

ConflictConflict

• Sometimes, internal and external Sometimes, internal and external conflict will mash togetherconflict will mash together

• Being scared of heights is an Being scared of heights is an internal conflictinternal conflict

• Being chased by killer clowns is an Being chased by killer clowns is an external conflictexternal conflict

• Having to face your fear of heights Having to face your fear of heights to get away from killer clowns is a to get away from killer clowns is a combination of internal and external combination of internal and external conflictsconflicts

Part 4Part 4

Point of ViewPoint of View

Perspective and Point of Perspective and Point of ViewView

•Sometimes you will be Sometimes you will be asked to consider the asked to consider the perspectiveperspective or or Point of Point of View View of a storyof a story

•These are both terms that These are both terms that describe describe who is telling who is telling the storythe story

First Person Point of ViewFirst Person Point of View

• First Person P.O.V.First Person P.O.V.— a character, — a character, usually the protagonist, is the person usually the protagonist, is the person telling the storytelling the story

• The special name for the character The special name for the character telling a story is the telling a story is the narratornarrator..

• Pronouns to look for: I, me, our, Pronouns to look for: I, me, our, wewe

• ““II woke up. woke up. II brushed my teeth. brushed my teeth. When When II opened my front door, opened my front door, II was was surprised to find an angry bull surprised to find an angry bull charging towards charging towards mymy house!” house!”

Second Person Point of ViewSecond Person Point of View

• Second Person P.O.V.Second Person P.O.V.— the story — the story is told as though happening to the is told as though happening to the readerreader

• Unusual in fiction. More common in Unusual in fiction. More common in poetry.poetry.

• Pronouns to look for: Pronouns to look for: you, youryou, your• ““YouYou wake up. wake up. YouYou brush brush youryour

teeth. When teeth. When youyou open your front open your front door, door, youyou are surprised to find an are surprised to find an angry bull charging towards angry bull charging towards youryour house!”house!”

Third Person Point of ViewThird Person Point of View

•Third Person P.O.V.Third Person P.O.V.— — Third Person P.O.V. has Third Person P.O.V. has two varieties:two varieties:

•Third Person LimitedThird Person Limited

•Third Person Third Person OmniscientOmniscient

Third Person LimitedThird Person Limited• Third Person LimitedThird Person Limited— the story is — the story is

told from outside of the characters. The told from outside of the characters. The reader is only aware of what the reader is only aware of what the characters are aware of.characters are aware of.

• Think of it like a camera following the Think of it like a camera following the protagonist aroundprotagonist around

• Pronouns to look for: Pronouns to look for: he, she, it, theyhe, she, it, they• ““Narbo woke up. Narbo woke up. HeHe brushed brushed hishis teeth. teeth.

He He went downstairs. When went downstairs. When hehe opened opened hishis front door, front door, hehe was surprised to find was surprised to find an angry bull charging towards an angry bull charging towards hishis house!”house!”

Third Person OmniscientThird Person Omniscient• Third Person OmniscientThird Person Omniscient— the story is — the story is

told from outside of the characters. The told from outside of the characters. The reader may be aware of details impossible reader may be aware of details impossible for the protagonist to know. for the protagonist to know.

• Omniscient means “all knowing”Omniscient means “all knowing”• Pronouns to look for: Pronouns to look for: he, she, it, theyhe, she, it, they• ““Narbo woke up. Narbo woke up. HeHe brushed brushed hishis teeth, teeth,

not realizing that at that moment not realizing that at that moment thousands of angry cows were charging thousands of angry cows were charging towards his house. towards his house. He He went downstairs. went downstairs. Just as Just as hehe opened opened hishis front door, front door, BessyBessy was swearing was swearing sheshe would take out all of would take out all of herher anger on the next person anger on the next person sheshe saw.” saw.”