Characterization, Setting and POV

Using text and inference to establish place and time and increase understanding

Character vs. Characterization

Character is someone or something involved in the main elements of the story and can offer action or insight into the events of the story

Characterization is how the character is portrayed.

Thoughts, actions, how other characters think of or respond

Types of Characterization

Direct

Author uses cues to supply the reader with a specific picture of the character (moral representation) of a character (Character’s character)

Example: Some versions of Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death he specifically states Prince Prospero is a devil or Satan worshipper; Maupassant specifically said Mme. Loisel was selfish and self-centered.

Indirect

Author allows the reader to experience the events of the story and draw their own conclusions of a Character’s character

Example: No explanation is offered except for dialogue between two characters; a character is portrayed as pushing another down in the hallway

Flat vs. Round

Flat

One dimensional

Character is limited

See one side or characteristic of the character

Probably will not change over the course of the story/novel

Round

Three dimensional

Character is a complete pictured and as complicated as you and me

Identify with the character

Enough information to determine flaws or virtues

http://sheehy-english.wikispaces.com/Round+and+Flat+Characters

Static vs. Dynamic

Static

Stays the same

Limited portrayal in story and does not allow for change or growth

Uninteresting and serve a specific purpose related to the plot and main character(s)

Dynamic

Changes as a result of the events in the story

Portrayed early in one way and develops over the time the story covers and as a result of events in the plot

Typically the main character(s) and changes are clearly explained

http://sheehy-english.wikispaces.com/Static+and+Dynamic+Characters

Effects of Characterization

Direct

Reader is told how to think or feel

No need for interpretation

May allow for character change; may be a steadfast character

Few differences in how the character is interpreted

Indirect

Reader can draw their own conclusions

Reader uses own moral compass to determine the character of a character

Characterization is arguable with supporting evidence

Why does it matter?

Knowing the characters:

Draws the reader in deeper

Generates emotional connections and invests the reader

Builds understanding and can be an author’s bread and butter

Deepens the effects of POV

Can push the reader to examine or redefine their own beliefs or values

Setting

More than place and time

Location and date can be important, but it needs to go beyond

Many effective stories are not set on a specific date in one singular location (A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away; Harry Potter has no specific dates and jumps locations several times per book)

Beyond Place and Time

Authors create more rich settings by:

Using sensory details (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell)

Make allusions and ties to familiar while also creating rich and vivid details

Draw on realistic or common locations, but offer details from the perspective of the character(s)

Focus as much development on the setting as the characters

Setting As Character

Can setting be a character?

What value does setting offer that can give it a life of its own and be considered a character?

How can setting evolve throughout a storyline in similar patterns as characters?

Effect of Setting

Gives the reader a fully developed image of the characters’ environment

DIRECTLY influences the characters’ actions and can play a role in the development of plot points

Without setting there is little frame of reference for the reader and leaves the story feeling incomplete (reader’s mind wonders)

Point of View

Four types:

1st person

2nd person

3rd person limited

3rd person omniscient

1st Person

I, me, my statements

Only get the opinion of the character or those trusted by the character

Narrator is typically the round, dynamic character

Bias

Limits feelings about other characters and forces many of them into flat, static territory

2nd Person

You, your statements

Forces the reader to actively participate in the story/novel and relies on the readers instincts or thoughts

Events presented that readers are unfamiliar with will leave them confused or disinterested

Difficult perspective to write from

Most popular/common occurrence is in Choose Your Own Adventure stories

3rd Person Limited

He, She, him, her, his, they, them statements

Narrator is NOT involved in the events of the story

Can be told from another place and time

Does not offer insight into ALL characters thoughts or feelings

May follow one character intensively while mentioning others at times to further the plot (Harry Potter)

3rd Person Omniscient

He, she, him, her, his, they, them statements

Narrator is NOT involved in the story

No sense of time and place beyond the character’s

Offers information into the thoughts, feelings and experiences of ALL main characters, but frequently focuses on a singular character the other’s orbit OR jumps between characters through organized chapters or textual cues

Effects of POV

POV can leave the reader predisposed to the author’s opinion

Allows the author to participate in direct or indirect characterization to advance the plot

Consider Twilight, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games

Elements Together

Characters are affected by the setting

Reader’s interpretations are affected by the type characterizations provided

Setting details can be determined by the POV of the work (1st person will set a limited setting, 3rd person will create a rich and full picture)

Setting can be a factor in the characterization (Harry Potter)

Where we will begin

Characterization

Assignment:

Watch or refer to one television show or movie and determine the type of character the main characters are. Provide evidence to support your assertion. Use the graph provided.