California State Standards California State Standards for Today’s Lessonfor Today’s Lesson

3.0 Students read and respond to works of literature.

3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration and dialogue.

1. In what ways do these portrayals of Piggy and Ralph match how each boy is described physically in the book? 2. What does each boy’s physical appearance & expression reveal about the kind of character/person that he is?

Characterization Characterization in Literaturein Literature

What is Characterization? What is Characterization? How a writer develops a

characterReveals character’s personalityTwo kinds: Direct and Indirect

Characterization

Direct CharacterizationDirect CharacterizationAuthor tells reader what the

character is likeExample: “The patient boy and

quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.”

Explanation: The author is directly telling the reader the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

Indirect CharacterizationIndirect CharacterizationAuthor shows things that reveal

the personality of a character.Five Types:

◦Speech◦Thoughts◦Effect on others◦Actions◦Looks (Physical Appearance)

Indirect Characterization Indirect Characterization cont.cont.

Always ask yourself: what do these things reveal about the

character?

IndirectIndirect Example: Example: The Cat in The Cat in the Hatthe Hat

Which type?◦Many of the words

spoken by the cat at the beginning of the story have an upbeat connotative meaning. For instance, the cat says to the children, “But we can have / Lots of fun that is funny!” (Seuss 7).

SPEECH

IndirectIndirect Example: Example: The Cat in The Cat in the Hatthe HatThroughout the first half of the

story, the cat is shown with a smile on his face. Towards the end of the story, however, when the cat is told to leave, he is shown leaving the house with slumped shoulders and a sad face.

LOOKS

IndirectIndirect Example: Example: The Cat in The Cat in the Hatthe HatThe cat releases two “things”

that fly kites inside the house.

ACTIONS

IndirectIndirect Example: Example: The Cat in The Cat in the Hatthe Hat“So all we could do was to Sit Sit!

Sit! Sit And we did not like it. Not one little bit (3).”

THOUGHTS

IndirectIndirect Example: Example: The Cat in The Cat in the Hatthe HatThroughout the first three

quarters of the story, three different illustrations portray the fish scowling at the cat immediately after each of the cat’s activities.

EFFECT ON OTHERS