Z A H R AT A L S A H R A I N T S C H O O L

ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAM

E N G L I S H D E PA RT M E N T
GRADE 9
L I T E R AT U R E
C H A R A C T E R I Z AT I O N
P R E P A R E D B Y : M R S . A B E E R D AW WA S
 METHODS OF CHARACTERIZATION
What Is Characterization?
Suppose you just met Jim, your new next-door neighbour. Later, a friend asks
you, "What's he like?"
How would you answer this question? You might describe what Jim looks like
or tell your friend something humorous that Jim said. You might even mention
that some of your other friends met Jim and thought he was funny but unusual.
Your descriptions help to give your friend an initial impression of Jim's
personality traits, or qualities. As you and your friend learn more about Jim, you
might discover that your first impression was wrong—or else right on target!
In a work of literature, a character is a person, animal, or imaginary creature
that participates in the action of the story.
METHODS OF CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct Characterization
• Sometimes, a writer tells you directly what a character is like. As a reader, you don't have to do any
detective work to figure out the character's traits.
Example:
Julian was a sore loser. After losing any game, he would sulk and mope for days on end. Sure, he was
a promising star athlete, but he had a serious personality flaw—a bad attitude.
2. Indirect Characterization
Through indirect characterization, a writer shows what a character is like. In such cases, readers
must infer, or make logical guesses about, a character's traits.
For example, a writer might describe—
• a character's physical appearance
• a character's speech and thoughts
• a character's actions
• the reactions of other characters
 A Character’s Physical Appearance
• Often, writers describe their characters' appearances in colourful detail. Sometimes, these details communicate
INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION
important information about a character's personality.
• Read the descriptions below about a character named Evelyn. The description shows you that the character has a
shy personality.
Character Trait: Shyness
Every time she spoke, Evelyn's cheeks turned fire-engine red.
Cowering in the corner, shoulders slouched, Evelyn rarely spoke in class.
Character’s Speech/Thoughts
Read the passage, and then choose the word that best describes the narrator.
As I glanced up at Jesse, I couldn't believe my eyes. He was cheating off Cheryl's exam!

Should I tell Mr. Ranier? I wondered to myself. But how could I betray my best friend?

In the end, I couldn't. "Jesse," I hissed as quietly as I could muster. "Stop it! I'm not kidding."
 Loyal arrogant judgmental
From her thoughts and speech, you can infer that the narrator is a loyal friend. Though she knows cheating is
wrong, she decides not to report Jesse to Mr. Ranier.
 A Character’s Actions
INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION
Another way to get a sense of a character's traits is to observe his or her actions. Ask yourself: What
kind of person would behave like this? Why?

Read the passage, and then choose which activity Ghazel would most likely enjoy.
It was Thanksgiving, and Ghazel was excited. She had a busy day planned. After breakfast, she walked
to the soup kitchen. It opened at 9, and Ghazel dished up food until 11. After helping wash the dishes,
she headed back to her small apartment. That afternoon, Ghazel tidied up and cooked a small roast. Her
next-door neighbour, Mrs. Dickinson, would be arriving soon.

Join a soccer team – Take dance lessons – Help organize a food drive
Ghazel enjoys helping other people, so she would most likely be interested in organizing a food drive.
INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION
Other Characters’ Reactions
Showing how others react to a character is another way writers reveal what a character
is like. Look at this example.
"I can't take Jason's bragging anymore! Why can't he just accept that he's a normal
human being? He thinks he's better than everyone else!"
"I agree. He's got to tone down that ‘I'm so special' attitude. It's getting on my nerves.“
Readers learn that Jason is—
• boastful and proud
• mean to other people
• more talented than others
• talkative and friendly
These characters are annoyed by Jason's bragging. They think he is overconfident and obnoxious.
Analysing Characters
Now, read this passage about a character named Kisha. What traits are revealed
through the writer's descriptions?
Kisha was ecstatic when she was chosen for a small part in her school play. As she walked onstage,
she felt everyone's eyes on her, and she froze. Her face burned red. "I can't do this!" she thought.
Kisha saw her friend Hilary give her an encouraging nod from the front row. Kisha took a deep
breath. In a shaky voice, she uttered a line.
Which of the following best describes Kisha?
• enthusiastic and talented
• eager but unsure of herself
• willing but careless
• detached and impatient

You can tell that Kisha is eager to participate in the play (she is described as ecstatic). However, she
lacks confidence at first.
CHARACTER TRAITS
 If you can name the characters in a story, you can probably describe what they're like. Characters are
usually described in terms of their character traits, or qualities.
 Writers develop characters by describing their looks, speech, actions, thoughts, and interactions.
Readers use these details to infer, or guess, characters' traits.
 A character trait is a way to describe someone. It is their personality. These change slowly or may
stay the same throughout a story. They may be positive and may be negative.

active Uncontrolled groovy lively polite

adventurou Uncooperative happy loving popular
s Unfriendly helpful loyal powerful
affectionat Unreliable honest mature quick
e Unselfish honourable mysterious quiet
alert Violent hopeful nice rational
ambitious Vulgar humorous noble reliable
bold Weak intelligent nurturing responsible
bright Weird interesting obedient sensational
brave cheerful joyful original sensible
 WHAT IS A CHARACTER TYPE?
How would you describe the characters in your favorite story? Is one a hero or a villain?
A bookworm or a daredevil? Labels help us further understand such characters.
There are all kinds of characters, or character types. Classifying, or grouping, characters
into types can help you understand why characters act the way they do.
Different types of characters in a story can be described in different ways. For example,
characters may be described as main or minor, round or flat, dynamic or static.

1. Main Characters and Minor Characters

2. Round and Flat Characters
3. Dynamic and Static Characters
4. Foil Character
5. Symbolic Character
TYPES OF CHARACTERS
1- Main characters are the most important ones in a story. Minor characters are less
important.
Example: In a story about a soccer team's winning season, the main characters might
be the star players and their dedicated coach. The minor characters might be some of
the parents of the players.
There are two types of main characters. One is a protagonist, the character whom
readers identify with and root for. The other is an antagonist, the character opposing
the protagonist. In many stories, characters struggle against each other. To find the
protagonist, ask: Which character am I rooting for? To find the antagonist, ask: Who is
in conflict with the protagonist?
PROTAGONIST ANTAGONIST
Pale and shaking, Chloe rubbed her hands and tried to The fire-breathing dragon had terrorized the kingdom
forget her fear. When she was introduced, however, for years. It was controlled by Sir Edmund, who was
Chloe stood up, walked onto the stage, sat down at the trying to disturb the peace of the people under Queen
piano, and emptied her mind of everything but music. Lara's rule.
TYPES OF CHARACTERS 2- A round character has many traits (including strengths and weaknesses) and displays a full range of
emotions. This character often changes over the course of a story. A flat character has a one-
dimensional personality, defined by only one or two traits. This character does not grow or change.
Example: In a story about a school election, conceited yet intelligent Tony is running for president.
Tony is a round character. His friends are flat characters. We know little about them, except that they are
loyal to Tony.
Some characters a writer creates can be complicated. Other characters may be quite simple. Yet all the
characters contribute to a story's unfolding events.
Because round characters have a variety of traits, they are usually as complex and lifelike as real
people. Round characters are main characters who make a story more interesting to read.
On the other hand, flat characters are not as developed or complex. As a reader, you may learn very
little about such characters' personalities. Flat characters are usually minor characters. Their purpose is
to advance the plot or to reveal something about the main characters.
Example: Suppose you are reading a story about Loren, a precocious inventor who has many ideas for
new gadgets. During creative bursts, Loren is too distracted to hang out with his friends, Al and Stacey.
He even loses his temper with them.
During the story, readers get to know Loren's talents and flaws. He is a round character who
eventually realizes how poorly he's been treating his friends. Al and Stacey are flat characters. Readers
don't learn much about them.
TYPES OF CHARACTERS 3- Dynamic characters change over the course of a story; static characters do not.
Example: At the end of a story about three best friends, Ana realizes that popularity is not as
important to her as she first thought. This new insight makes her a dynamic character. Her
friends disagree, and always have. They are static.

To better understand the characters in a story, you'll also want to consider how they change
and grow as people. Dynamic characters change as a result of the conflicts or events. For
instance, they may learn valuable lessons or insights, causing them to have a new outlook on
life. In contrast, static characters stay the same; they do not undergo major changes by the
story's end.
Example: Ryan saw the storm clouds but kept walking. This wasn't the first time he ignored his
mom's advice. She often accused him of being difficult and impulsive. But why couldn't he walk
to practice? Shouldn't he decide?
Hard rain and hail pelted him. With nowhere to run, Ryan reconsidered his behaviour. My mom
might have a point sometimes. I should probably listen to her, rather than always argue for no
reason.
TYPES OF CHARACTERS 4- Foil Character is a character (often the antagonist) whose qualities stand in stark
contrast to another character (often the protagonist). This contrast provides the reader
with a better understanding of each character.

Example: In The Great Gatsby, there's no doubt Tom Buchanan was a foil to Gatsby.
They stand in opposition to one another. Tom came from money, Gatsby came from
poverty. Tom is a "rough and gruff" kind of guy while Gatsby is more sensitive and
quiet.
5- A symbolic character is used to represent something larger and more important
than themselves, which usually ties into the overall message of the book or series. 

Example: In Lord of the Flies, Piggy is a symbol of both the rationality and physical
weakness of modern civilization; Jack, on the other hand, symbolizes the violent
tendencies (the Id) that William Golding believes is within human nature.
 It was what was called "make or break" time. Eric fidgeted in his seat at the semi-finals, desperate for
the judges to call his name. Would he be picked for the finals? Could he live through waiting to find
out? He thought about the other guitarists in the competition and decided he didn't have a chance.
PRACTICE QUESTION 1

His sister Amber touched his shoulder. "Eric, you've been awesome. You've worked so hard. The
judges could hear that. Everyone could."
Eric looked at the floor. "You don't have to say that. But I wouldn't have made it this far without your
help."
Before Amber could start to argue, the judges' assistant called, "Eric Daley! You're up."
Eric shot up from his chair and grabbed his guitar. He tried to smile at Amber, but only managed to
wince. "May as well get this over with," he said, taking a deep breath.
Which trait best describes Eric?

1. pessimistic
2. intellectual
3. fearful
4. arrogant
 It was what was called "make or break" time. Eric fidgeted in his seat at the semi-finals, desperate for
the judges to call his name. Would he be picked for the finals? Could he live through waiting to find
out? He thought about the other guitarists in the competition and decided he didn't have a chance.
PRACTICE QUESTION 2

His sister Amber touched his shoulder. "Eric, you've been awesome. You've worked so hard. The
judges could hear that. Everyone could."
Eric looked at the floor. "You don't have to say that. But I wouldn't have made it this far without your
help.“ Before Amber could start to argue, the judges' assistant called, "Eric Daley! You're up."
Eric shot up from his chair and grabbed his guitar. He tried to smile at Amber, but only managed to
wince. "May as well get this over with," he said, taking a deep breath.
Which of the following words does NOT describe Eric?
1. caring
2. hard-working
3. grateful
4. light-hearted
 Mr. Hennesy sat on the splintering park bench in his red-checkered jacket. His patchy
gray hat sat askew on his bald head, and his thick glasses seemed dirty. "Hello, Mr.
PRACTICE QUESTION 3
Hennesy. How are you today?" Stormy asked as she passed him on her way to the
soccer field.
Mr. Hennesy looked up slowly and gave her a crinkled smile. "Ah, my girl," he said
in his gravelly voice, "The sun is warm, the bench is firm, the children are laughing,
and the adults are running after them. All is well."

The writer of this passage lets readers know what Mr. Hennesy is like through—
1. his speech and thoughts
2. his appearance and speech
3. his thoughts and actions
4. Stormy's reaction to him
 "Lucy, we need to talk. Now."
Lucy sulked. "Oh, Mom, not this again! Why won't you just let it drop?"
Mrs. Haron frowned. "You know I can't let it drop—this isn't a small issue. You went
PRACTICE QUESTION 4

to the party without my permission. That tells me I can't trust you!"

"Fine, I won't do it again," muttered Lucy. "Can I go upstairs now?"
Mrs. Haron snapped, "No! Sit down. We're going to talk about this before it gets
worse."

Based on this passage, readers can infer that Mrs. Haron is—
1. easy-going
2. lazy
3. hateful
4. stern
 Felicia cleaned her room every day and always kept her desk spotless. A messy room,
in Felicia's mind, meant she was messy. If people saw something in her life that was
PRACTICE QUESTION 5
out of order, Felicia just knew they would criticize her.
Felicia even went so far as to arrange all her books from tallest to shortest and in
alphabetical order. Sometimes, her mother told her she was obsessed with neatness.

The writer of this passage develops the character of Felicia by using—

1. direct characterization
2. descriptions of speech and other characters' reactions
3. details about thoughts and other characters' reactions
4. descriptions of thoughts and appearance
 As Megan was taking Ben, her golden retriever, for a walk, she met Carson and Tyler carrying kites.
"Nice kites," Megan said.
PRACTICE QUESTION 6
"Thanks," Carson replied. "They're for kite fighting." He explained that kite fighting involves kite flyers
trying to knock other kites out of the sky. "Want to come along and watch?" he invited.
Megan hesitated. She had flown kites before, and it wasn't much fun. And, she was rarely one for trying
new things.
"Come on," Carson said. "You'll love it." Megan decided she could spare a few minutes, just to be polite.
As Megan watched, she could see that this wasn't ordinary kite flying! The kites paired up and fought to
the finish. Finally, one kite soared alone in the sky.
"Thanks for introducing me to kite fighting," Megan told Carson. Feeling more adventurous and open to
new possibilities, she declared, "I'll be back next week."
Which character could be classified as dynamic?
1. Carson
2. Tyler
3. Megan
4. Ben
 Cesar's mom asked, "Will you watch the twins while I run to the store?"
"Sure, I guess," Cesar agreed, though his heart sank. He sighed and shut down the computer.
PRACTICE QUESTION 6
When he went downstairs, his six-year-old sisters Maria and Ana were fighting over the TV remote. Cesar took a deep
breath. "Okay," he said. "Whose turn is it to choose the show?"
Both yelled, "Mine!" After a few minutes, Cesar worked out an agreement.
Soon, Ana left the room. When she didn't return, Cesar went to check on her. He found her in the kitchen eating cookies his
mom had made for work. "Ana," he yelled, "you can't eat those!" Fortunately, she had only eaten a few. Then, he heard a
crash in the other room, and he ran to investigate.
Maria was sitting on the floor, watching TV. Cesar stared at the potted plant lying on the floor. The pot wasn't shattered, but
dirt was all over the carpet. "I don't know what happened," Maria said. "It just fell."
Cesar righted the pot and cleaned up the mess. At this point, his patience was wearing thin, and he was moments from
losing his temper.
Just as he got the vacuum put away, Mom opened the door. "Did everything go all right?" she asked.
"Sure, Mom. No problem.“
Maria and Ana both could be classified as—
1. round antagonists
2. round and dynamic
3. dynamic but flat
4. static and flat