Understanding Characters in Literature: Protagonists, Antagonists, and Characterization, Study notes of English

Download Understanding Characters in Literature: Protagonists, Antagonists, and Characterization and more Study notes English in PDF only on Docsity! What is a character? A person, or animal who takes part in the action 1. Protagonist - the main character 2. Antagonist - the protagonist struggles against this other major character in some works Characterization A process of showing what a character is really like. 1. Direct characterization – the writer simply tells what the character is like. Such as “Susie felt lonely and frightened.” 2. Indirect characterization – the writer shows what a character is like by describing what the character says or does, how a character looks, or what other characters say about him or her. Elements of Character 1. Appearance – looks, clothing, etc 2. Personality – way the character acts 3. Background – where is the character from? School? Experiences? 4. Motivation – Why do the character do what she does? What does he like or dislike? Goals, aspirations, dreams, and needs? 5. Relationships – Who is the character related to? How does the character relate to other people? 6. Conflicts – Involved in a struggle? Internal or external? Why? 7. Change – Does the character change, learn or grow during the work? a. static character – does not change b. dynamic character - changes