Character Development – Summer School ELD

Archetype / Goal / Strategy / Weakness
The Innocent
The Regular Guy
The Hero
The Caregiver
The Explorer
The Rebel
The Lover
The Creator
The Jester
The Sage
The Magician
The Ruler

Direct Vs. Indirect Characterization

Characterization is the process by which the author reveals the personality of the characters. Characterization is revealed through direct and indirect characterization.

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is.

Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well-mannered and did not disobey their mother.”

Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of the two characters. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

Example: “Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley’s, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.”

Explanation:______

Indirect Characterizationshows things that reveal the personality of the characters. There are five different methods of Indirect Characterization.

Speech / What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts / What is revealed through the characters private thoughts and feeling?
Effects on others / What is revealed through the characters effect on other people? How do others characters feel or behave in reaction to this character?
Actions / What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks / What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

Character Name: ______Character Archetype: ______

Type of Indirect Characterization / Examples / Explanation
Speech
Thoughts
Effects on Others
Actions
Looks

Character Name: ______Character Archetype: ______

Type of Indirect Characterization / Examples / Explanation
Speech
Thoughts
Effects on Others
Actions
Looks