CHARACTERIZATION

Characterization is what a character is like, what type of person they are.A quick way to remember how to figure out what kind a person a character is, is to use the F.A.S.T. method.

F= FeelingsA= ActionsS= Says/SayingsT= Thoughts

How a character feels, acts, talks, and thinks helps us understand who the character really is. Often, we have to infer to help us figure out what type of person a character is or their character traits.

CHARACTER TRAITS

•Character traits are words/adjectives that describe a character’s feelings, actions, sayings, and thoughts.

FEELINGS:•How does the character feel?

•How do you know?

•What evidence do you have?

FEELINGS: If someone is frowning you might describe them as feeling sad or upset.

ACTIONS:•What does the character do?

•What do the actions tell us about the character?

ACTIONS:If someone is tapping their foot you might describe them as acting impatient or nervous.

SAY:•What does the character say?

•What can you learn about the character based on what is said?

SAYS:If someone says “Nice to meet you!” you might describe them as being friendly or nice.

THOUGHTS:•What is the character thinking?(infer)

•How do you know?

•What text evidence to you have?

THOUGHTS:If someone sits alone, you could infer they are thinking no one likes them. You might describe them as lonely or unsocial.

Let’s practice!Todd stepped quietly as he walked across the hall. He closed the door very slowly so that the hinges wouldn’t squeak. The last thing he wanted to do was to wake his little brother from his nap. If that happened, Todd wouldn’t have the peace and quiet he needed to finish the model airplane that he had been putting together one tiny piece at a time for weeks now.

*Which two of these character traits best describes Todd? mysterious lonely patient discouraged cautious

charming clumsy obedient

Alicia wasn’t worried. As she sat on her living room floor, she felt sure that she would win today’s election for queen of the Halloween dance. She had a new hairstyle and a cool outfit, and she knew that her many friends would be there to support her. Alicia had counted over 90 friends who planned to be there. Now she just had to wait, and that was no problem. Alicia sat calmly and watched reruns of her favorite TV show as she waited until it was time to leave.

Which set of character traits best describes Alicia?A. babyish, jealous, impoliteB. fair, lonely, mysteriousC. jealous, confident, impoliteD. confident, popular, patient