Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students explore various methods authors use to create effective characters. Students consider what makes a character believable and create their own characterizations. They also write a short script using the characters they created and act out the script.

Length of Lesson:

Four 45-minute class periods

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• gain insight into various methods authors use to build characterization.
• experience the creative process of developing a character.
• broaden understanding of the role of minor characters.
• achieve better understanding of types of characters.
• explore the inferential power of images and literary allusions to enhance characterization.
• understand ways the text mirrors attitudes, values, fashions, manners, and mores of the time period.
• experience growth in the writing process, oral skills, skills of research, contextual analysis, and collaboration.

Supplies:

• Copies of John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim’s Progress" (optional)

Instructional Plan:

Certain fictional characters seem to have a unique ability to resonate with readers: Tom Sawyer, Sidney Carton, Jane Eyre, Frodo Baggins, and Sethe Suggs to name a few. How do authors create such enduring characters? Through what devices do they create a mystique of these singular personalities? The following activities are dedicated to helping students gain insight into specific devices of characterization.

Ask students: What are some methods authors can use to build characterization?

Activity A

Ask students (individually) to:

• write down the names of two favorite characters they have encountered in books they have read.
• make a jot list of specific reasons why they designated the characters as “favorites.”
• make a list of what they remember about how the author developed each of the two characters.

Tell students, while they complete the above activities, to consider ways the author makes the characters come to life, including each character's:

• physical characteristics (or lack thereof),
• interaction with other characters,
• interaction with his or her environment,
• internal thoughts and/or philosophical outlook,
• revelations about his or her past, and
• dialect or way of speaking.

Divide the class into large groups and have students share their favorite characters’ names, rationale for selection, and details about the characters that make them come to life.

Have the students develop an in-class written profile of a friend or family member, describing their subject from a range of perspectives to capture as full a description as possible for the reader.

Initiate an open discussion of recurring patterns of characterization observed in the students' favorite characters and/or techniques used in students' descriptions of a friend or relative.

Ask for volunteers to share "profile" responses.

Activity B

Divide the class into small groups (3 or 4 students each). Assign each group one of a series of names (or generate a list on the board and let each group choose one name), such as Ashley, Benjamin, Carey, Kurt, Lisa, Maureen, Newland, and Stephen. Avoid using the name of a student in the class.

Ask each group to negotiate, and record in writing, specific conclusions about each of the following aspects of their “person.” Remind students that their mission is to build a well-defined persona for their assigned or chosen name. Be prepared to introduce their “person” to the class. (Suggestions: Make it clear that the character should exhibit realistic characteristics. In other words, it should not be a superhuman or a cartoonish figure. Also, encourage the group to assign one or more of its members to sketch a drawing of the character.)

Each character description should include most or all of the following elements. (Students should be encouraged to flesh out the characterization with additional information.)

• physical description and age
• behavioral traits (shy, self-confident, outgoing, socially adept, etc.)
• body and facial language habits (toss of the head, raised eyebrow, etc.)
• fashion traits (conservative, trendy, etc.)
• prevailing linguistic characteristics (formal, informal, heavy use of slang, satirical, witty, a jokester, recurring use of images, erudite references, etc.)
• favorite flower
• favorite music
• special talents (musician, artist, actor, writer, scientist, mathematician, etc.)

Have each group "introduce" their "person" to the class, sharing the background information they have constructed in developing the characterization.

Realign the small groups in such a way that characters with different names are represented in each group, for instance, Ashley with Carey, or Lisa and Maureen with Benjamin. Have students choose one of the following situations as a center-piece for developing a brief script for a scene:

• an incident at school
• a walk in a park
• a social situation, such as a dance, an evening at a friend’s house, or a trip to the theater or concert
• an unexpected meeting on the street
• a farewell to a friend or family member
• an encounter with an older neighbor or relative

Advise students that, in developing their scripts, they should give careful attention to sustaining such aspects as the personality, behavioral traits, linguistic characteristics, and attitudes of the characters as earlier defined.

Assign students to prepare the dramatization of their scripts, again paying close attention to sustaining, in the dramatic projection, the integrity of the original personality, including the general outlook, linguistic and behavioral profile of the character.

Follow the dramatization with peer critique of how well the script and performance sustained the integrity of the characters through such aspects as content references, language use, body language, facial expressions, and behavioral attitudes.

Activity C

Initiate a grade-level appropriate, large group discussion of some or all of the following considerations of character development. Consider assigning students to research, in advance, the topics listed below to prepare for the discussion.

1. Trace the historical development of the concept of minor characters as an outgrowth of the strophe and antistrophe Choruses in Ancient Greek tragedy. What various purposes can minor characters serve in the building of a novel? Cite some “case studies” to clarify and support your assertions. For example, minor characters can build structural tensions in the narrative; act as “foil” for the protagonist; clarify emotional contexts of major characters; illuminate motives of major characters; enhance readers’ perceptions of background and setting; deepen the plot with "side stories"; contribute to foreshadowing; underscore a thematic statement; expand readers’ perceptions of how narrative, characters, events, and theme align with the universal domain; change rhythm and pace; add “comic relief.”
2. What is the difference between "flat" and "round" characters?
3. How do characters in an allegory (such as John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim’s Progress") differ from those of regular fiction?
4. What modes of development can an author use to reveal the "mindstream" (internal thoughts) of a character?
5. Through what specific ways can an author shape the personality of a character? How does the author portray, for example, a character who is gruff, stubborn, enigmatic, charismatic, or withdrawn?
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Assessment:

Evaluate students on the following criteria:

• level of serious and cooperative participation in research and collaborative assignments
• substantive contributions to class discussion, creative activities, and special projects
• organization, meaningful substance, rhetorical skill, and poise in formal oral presentation
• willingness to volunteer for special activities
• general level of engagement in all activities and assignments

Authors:

• Jayne Karsten, English, Grades 9-12
  The Key School
  Annapolis, MD US