Character

Analysis

Activity

For the 9-12 ELA Classroom

With Paper Live Help

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Instructions for Teachers

• This slide deck offers an introduction to Character Analysis, Direct Characterization, and Indirect Characterization.
• Teachers can pair this with the text of their choice.
• After the short review of these terms and concepts students use this worksheet with the text selected by the teacher.
• The worksheet includes a portion where students take notes on feedback they receive from a Paper Live Help Tutor.
• If you’d like to customize this activity click “File” then click “Make a Copy.
• We’d love to hear how you use Paper in the classroom! Share your ideas with us on social media using the hashtag #HowWePaper

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Direct + Indirect Characterization

Authors use direct and indirect characterization to help create vivid characters. After reading the text provided by your teacher, complete this character analysis.

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What is Characterization?

• Act of creating and describing characters in literature.
• Descriptions of a character’s physical attributes and the character’s personality
• The way that characters act, think, and speak also adds to their characterization.
• Two types of characterization: direct and indirect characterization.

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Direct Characterization

Direct characterization or explicit characterization, consists of the author telling the audience what a character is like.

• Narrator may give this information
• A character in the story may give this information.
• Examples:
• “Bill was short and his bald spot was widening with every passing year.”
• “Sam is a cruel person,’ she said.’”
• “I looked in the mirror and saw how dark the circles under my blue eyes had become.”

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Indirect Characterization

The author shows the audience what kind of person a character is through the character’s thoughts, words, and deeds.

The audience to make inferences about why a character would say or do those things.

• “Bill sighed as he looked at the offer of a gym membership. He really should join. But just thinking about it made beads of sweat collect at the top of his bald spot.”
• “As Sam walked past the box labelled ‘Free Kittens,’ she quickly glanced around her, then gave the box a swift kick.”

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Your Task: Character Analysis

• As you read, pick one main character from the text and analyze the characterization of that character.
• Take notes on the provided worksheet as you read and annotate.
• Start with a general description, how do they see themselves, and how do others see them.
• Then find examples of direct characterization and indirect characterization. Write the quote down and be sure to say who said this about the character (was it themselves, the narrator, or another character.)

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By The End of Class

Complete Analysis and Get Feedback from a Paper Tutor

• Read and analyze one character from the text.
• Find specific examples of both direct and indirect characterization.
• When your worksheet is complete, sign on to Paper Live Help.
• Ask a tutor to give you feedback on your analysis to ensure you have correctly identified direct and indirect characterization.

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