Characters Motivation and Traits

Traits, or characteristics, of a character are revealed through...(select all that apply)

• what a character says

• what a character does

• what a character thinks

• how a character acts

Motivation...(check all that apply)

• ...is what a character wants.

• ...is revealed through dialogue.

• ...is what a character says and how he/she says it.

• ...explains why characters act in certain ways.

What moves a character to think, feel or behave in a certain way?

• Food

• Money

• Motivation

• Love

A character that has many different sides, and is fully developed is...

• the antagonist

• the protagonist

• round

• flat

Why is it important to analyze a character's motivations?

• To predict the end of the story

• To understand why characters behave the way they do

• To find out where the story takes place

• To learn about the author's life

What is Natalie's mom's motivation for grounding Natalie?

Natalie's mom just didn’t know what to do with her anymore. Anytime she asked her to do something, Natalie rolled her eyes and walked away. Natalie was always doing something she wasn’t supposed to. One night, her mom found her texting her friends past midnight! She had hidden her phone in her socks before heading off to bed. The next day, her teacher called her mom to tell her that she had been making fun of other kids and telling them they couldn’t even LOOK at her! Natalie's mom took Natalie's phone and grounded her for a week.

• Natalie's mom grounded her because she wasn't listening, had a bad attitude, and was mean to kids at school.

• Natalie's mom grounded her because she failed her math test and didn't complete her reading homework.

• Natalie's mom grounded her because she started a food fight during lunch.

• Natalie's mom grounded her because she got caught cheating during a test.

What are character motivations?

• The reasons why a character acts or behaves a certain way

• Adjectives that describe a person's personality

• Describes how a character feels

• The lesson or message the author wants readers to learn

What word means: His or her qualities, such as honesty?

• direct characterization

• indirect characterization

• character traits

• character motives

What motivates a character who studies every night for a test?

• They are bored

• They want to fail

• They want to succeed

• They dislike studying

Jing-Mei's mother hopes she will become ...

• a better student

• a prodigy

• a good friend

• happy