Interpreting Character Description and Perspective

Charcter Description

• A character description is a written or spoken representation of a fictional or non-fictional character's physical appearance, personality traits, motivations, and other defining characteristics.

• It might include details such as age, height, weight, hair color/style, eye color/shape, clothing style/preferences that the character has.

• The purpose of creating a detailed character description is to help readers understand and connect with the characters in your story by making them feel more real and relatable.

Characters Perspective

• When we talk about a character's perspective, we are referring to the way in which they see and interpret their surroundings.

  • This includes how they perceive other characters, events, places and situations.

• A character's perspective is shaped by their personality traits, beliefs, values, experiences and biases.

Dynamic Characters

• A dynamic character is a type of character in fiction who undergoes significant internal change throughout the course of a story.

• These changes might occur as a result of their experiences, interactions with other characters, or new information that they learn.

Common Changes

• Health

• Wealth

• Perspective

• Motives

• Skills

• States

Static Characters

• Static characters are fictional characters who remain the same throughout a story or novel.

• These types of characters do not undergo any significant changes in their personalities, beliefs, or values during the course of the narrative.

• They may still play important roles in advancing the plot and influencing other characters' actions, but they themselves do not experience any growth or development.

Examples of Static Characters

• Children’s stories

• Symbolic Characters

• Mentor Characters

• Detective Characters

• Antagonists

Setting the Scene

• Setting the scene refers to the process of creating a detailed and immersive environment in which a story or event takes place.

• This includes describing the physical surroundings, such as buildings and landscapes, as well as providing information on key characters and their personalities, motivations, and actions.

• By setting the scene effectively, writers can transport readers or audiences into a different world that feels vivid and real. In theater or film production, setting the scene may involve designing sets, costumes, lighting effects etc., while in literature it often involves using descriptive language to paint pictures with words.

Conflict

• Conflict is a crucial element of literature that drives the plot forward and creates tension in the story.

• It refers to the struggle between two opposing forces, which can be internal or external.

• Internal conflict occurs within a character's mind and emotions, such as their fears, doubts, or desires.

  • This type of conflict often involves making difficult decisions or overcoming personal obstacles.

• External conflict occurs outside of the character and can take many forms such as person vs person (interpersonal), person vs society (societal), person vs nature/environmental issues (natural) ,person vs supernatural/fate etc.

Person Vs Person

• The concept of "person vs person" is often used in literature and storytelling to describe a conflict or struggle between two individuals.

• This can take many forms, such as physical violence, emotional manipulation, or competition for resources or status.

Person Vs Self

• Person vs self is a type of conflict where the main character struggles with their own thoughts, beliefs, or emotions.

• In this conflict, the protagonist faces an inner battle between what they want and what they think is right.

• This can result in feelings of guilt, anxiety, or doubt.

Person Vs Society

• refers to a type of external conflict where the main character struggles against the norms, rules and expectations of their culture or group.

• The protagonist may face resistance from authority figures like government officials, religious leaders or cultural icons who seek to maintain the status quo.
  

Person Vs Nature

• The conflict between person and nature is a common theme in literature, film, and other forms of art.

• This conflict can take many different forms, but at its core it represents the struggle between human beings and the natural world around them.
  

Plot Development

• Plot development is a crucial aspect of storytelling that involves the progression and unfolding of events in a narrative.

• It includes the introduction of characters, setting up conflicts and challenges for them to face, rising action as tension builds, climax where the main conflict comes to a head, falling action as tensions ease off and loose ends are tied up, and finally resolution or conclusion.

Interpreting Symbolism

Symbolism

• Symbolism in literature is the use of symbols to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

• These symbols can be objects, images, actions, or even characters that stand for something deeper than their literal meaning.

• The purpose of using symbolism in literature is to convey complex emotions and ideas that may not be easily expressed through words alone.
  

Common Symbols

• Objects

• Character

• Colors

• Animals

• Events

Identifying Evidence and Supporting Litearary Arguments

Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement is a concise declaration of the main point, argument or focus of an essay, research paper or other academic work.

• It summarizes the writer's position on the topic and presents an overview of what will be discussed in the body paragraphs to follow.

• The thesis statement is typically located at the end of the introduction paragraph and serves as a roadmap for readers to understand where your writing is headed.

Evidence and Commentary

• Evidence refers to the information or data that supports a claim or argument.

  • It can take many forms, including statistics, quotations from experts, examples from historical events or personal experiences.

• Commentary, on the other hand, is an explanation or interpretation of evidence provided by the writer.

  • It's where you provide your own insight and analysis on how the evidence relates to your argument.

• Commentary helps readers understand not only what the evidence means but also why it's important in supporting your thesis statement.

  • An effective commentary should connect back to your main point while providing new insights and perspectives for readers to consider.

• Line reasoning in literature refers to the process of analyzing a text on a line-by-line basis, paying close attention to each individual sentence and how it contributes to the overall meaning of the work.

  • This approach is often used in literary analysis or close reading, where readers carefully examine every word and phrase in order to gain a deeper understanding of the author's intended message.
    

Examples of Evidence

• Facts

• Summaries of the Scene

• Major Plot Events

• Character Developments

Sophistication

• Identifying and exploring complexities or tensions within the selected work

• Illuminating the students interpretation by situating it within a broader context.

• Accounting for alternative interpretations of the selected work

• Employing a style that is consistently vivid and persuasive