Connecting to Characters

FREE WRITE:   How do you relate to characters? Do you judge them? Think of people that are similar to them? Become them yourself? Etc! Etc!


Literary Term: Characterization

What is characterization? Well, it refers to the various means by which an author describes and develops character. It allows the characters of a story to come alive, to feel real to us. So how do authors have their characters "come alive"? 

Here are a few ways:

describing characters' thoughts, emotions, physical appearance, family, culture, environment, actions, and conversations.

There are two types of characterization:

direct characterization- explicitly presenting information about the characters (telling the reader about the characters)

indirect characterization- depicting who characters are through their actions, values, words, thoughts, and feelings (showing the reader what a character is like)

Please choose a character from any of the three books that you strongly connected to--this doesn't mean you would be friends with this character or that you are similar to the character. Connecting to characters means you had strong feelings toward them, negative or positive. 


Next, BECOME this character. Please fill out some "personal" info on the sheet provided.

HW: Please complete the Connecting to Characters handout