Characterization

Hello O. L. Smith Community,

This week, the students worked on characterization. Characterization is the process by which a writer reveals a character’s personality to his audience. The two types of characterization we discussed are direct and indirect.

Direct characterization is when the author tells you the character’s personality. For example, “Thor is a courageous warrior.” We are told about Thor; we don’t have to guess.

Indirect characterization was a bit more of a struggle for students. This is when we use S. T. E. A. L. (Speech, Thoughts, Effects on other characters, Actions, and Looks) to decide what a character’s personaility is. In class, we discussed how Tris, from Divergent, is brave. While the author didn’t tell us she was brave directly, we could figure it out from her actions, such as when she leaps into the black pit without knowing what is on the other side.

Many students had a difficult time grasping indirect characterization. We will work on it more in the coming week. However, I also encourage you to help your student at home. Ask your student to characterize a character from their favorite book, tv show, etc. It takes moments but can help them apply what they are learning in school to other situations.

Students also were asked to turn their bellwork in this week. If your child is missing their bellwork, please see the “Resources” page to get a list of the bellwork they needed to turn in.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you,

Megan Timpf