Section 1
The main character or hero. This person works towards a central goal
Protagonist
A character that grows and changes throughout the story.
Dynamic Character
Suzie applied the lipstick to her lips. She had never done this before. She smacked her lips like she had seen other women do in the movies and looked in the mirror. She felt unsure about what she saw. She turned to her friend Donna and asked, "How do I look?" Donna gasped and said, "You look breathtaking, Suzie." Suzie smiled. She was grateful for these words, even though she didn't believe them.
3rd Person Limited because it only uses thoughts.
Little Bear blew the horn. The warriors gathered. Running Coyote was annoyed and said to Little Bear, "Why did you blow the horn, Little Bear. Do you need some instruction on how to hunt for buffalo? The first rule is to not make any loud noises when we are sneaking up on a herd." The other braves laughed heartily. Little Bear ignored him. He had no mind to entertain Running Coyote's derision at this time. "No, Running Coyote, it is about the truce. Some say that there has been an attack on the village." Running Coyote's face sobered. He no longer felt like joking. "Who says this, Little Bear?" Running Coyote asked. Little Bear replied, "The Chief says this."
3rd Person Limited b/c only running coyote's thoughts
Priya's younger brother knocked over the model she had spent all weekend building. She stared silently at the broken pieces scattered across the floor. After a long moment, she sighed and said, "Go get the glue. Maybe we can fix it together."
Actions, Speech
This person opposes or works against the protagonist.
Antagonist
A character whose situation you understand, sympathize with, or can relate to.
Sympathetic Character
April opened the escape hatch. She was afraid to jump, but she realized that the airship was sinking. She looked at Vince, who was strapping on his parachute. Vince locked eyes with her and then he realized the error in his conduct. "I'm sorry, April. That was ungentlemanly of me. Let me help you with yours." He proceeded to attach the other parachute to April's back. This made him feel a little better.
3rd Person omniscient because its both of their thoughts.
"Ding!" Katie looked at her phone. It was a text message from Jeff. "Ugh! Not now," she said to herself. She was mad at Jeff for a comment that he had made the last time that they spoke. Meanwhile, while Katie was ignoring Jeff, he was at home trying to figure out why Katie was mad at him. "Did I say something that might have made her angry?" he thought to himself. "No, I have been a perfect gentleman," he concluded.
3rd Omniscient b/c both Katie and Jeff's thoughts.
Evan leaned against the wall while the other players celebrated their victory. "Nice shot," he told Marcus when he walked by. Evan smiled until Marcus turned away. Then his smile disappeared, and he stared at the floor.
Appearance, Speech
A character that we do not know much about; has one or two qualities and is not well developed.
Flat Character
A character mentioned only briefly, less than a flat character.
Minor Character
The bell rang. "Oh no! I'm going to be late for science! I've got to go," said Cassie to her friend Tom. Tom rolled his eyes and said, "Little Miss Perfect can't be late." This upset Cassie. She hated when people gave her a hard time for trying to do the right thing, especially Tom. "Quiet you," she said while swinging at Tom with her folder. He narrowly dodged the strike and said, "Be careful now. Attacking another student is a level two offense." Then he smiled a big, cheesy grin at her
3rd Person Limited, the story uses "She" and "her to describe Cassie.
Nora glanced at the clock for the fourth time. The other students were still working, but she had finished ten minutes ago. She reread every answer, erased one, wrote it again, and then checked the clock once more. I know I studied, but what if I missed something obvious?
Action, Thoughts
Sofia entered the crowded room with her shoulders pulled back and her chin raised. She wore a bright red jacket among a crowd dressed mostly in gray and black. When several people turned toward her, she didn't look away.
Physical Description, Action
A character that does not experience growth throughout the story, they stay the same.
Static Character
The dew on the grass made my running shoes damp. It didn't bother me. The sound of my feet hitting the street formed a rhythm, a steady pattern of light thumps. I timed my breathing with the rhythm. These sounds filled my head. I thought of nothing other than the next step and keeping my tempo. I soared over the sidewalks like concrete clouds.
1st Person, the narrator uses "I" and "Me".
Greg looked up at the bright lights in the operating room until they burned a white spot in his field of vision. He looked at the face of the surgeon and saw only a white blur. When he looked away, he could see the surgeon's masked face from his peripheries. He could hear him readying an array of metal instruments, many of which looked as though they might belong to a dentist. I hope he's not going to use those on me! Greg thought to himself with terror. The surgeon picked up one that looked like a bent up question mark
3rd Person Limited because only Greg's thoughts.
"Do you want to take the shot, Vince?" The coach asked me. I looked into his eyes. They were ice-cold blue. His face did not betray his feelings, but I knew that he meant it. "I do, Coach. I can make the shot." I replied. He nodded and then put his hand on top of my head. "I don't know how long any of us will live, but we will all remember what happens next for as long as we do." He then slapped me on the back. The referee blew the whistle and it was time to find out just how I would be remembered.
1st Person because it uses "I" and "Me"
"I don't care whether I make the team," Jamal said as he stuffed the tryout form into his backpack. Later that afternoon, he waited until everyone had left the gym before practicing free throws alone
Actions, Speech
Round Character
Jeremiah squinted from the sun. He was thinking about the game. They could have won. He could have won the game for them. All he needed to do was catch the ball, but he didn't. He dropped it. His coach talked to him. "Jeremiah, we had a great season. Nobody's perfect. Look at me. Ha ha," he said. Jeremiah smiled at the coach, but he couldn't forgive himself so easily.
3rd person limited because it only is his thoughts.
We were a tightly knit unit. When one of us ate, all of us ate, and we all ate the same thing: shrubs and plants. Sure, Uncle Sam provided us with C-Rations, but those things produced a smell that could be detected from fifty-yards away, more if the wind was blowing. So even though it took longer to make our meals the way that the natives did, we had too. It was a matter of survival.
1st person plural, uses "us" and "we".
When Mr. Harris announced that the class would have an extra day to complete the project, everyone cheered except Owen. "So you're saying I stayed up until midnight finishing this for nothing?" he muttered, shoving his notebook into his backpack.
Speech, Actions
Lena watched her friends whisper at the other end of the hallway. They're probably talking about the dance, she told herself. It doesn't have anything to do with me. Still, she took the longer route to class so she wouldn't have to walk past them.
Actions, Thoughts/Feelings
After discovering the wallet beneath the bleachers, Tyler opened it and saw several twenty-dollar bills. He looked toward the empty parking lot, then back at the money. No one would ever know, he thought. He closed the wallet and carried it toward the front office.
Action, thoughts/feelings
For weeks, Amara had barely spoken during group discussions. When her group began arguing about how to finish their presentation, however, she pulled the rubric toward her. "We're wasting time," she said. "Marcus, finish the slides. Kayla, check our sources. I'll organize what we're going to say." The others became quiet and began working.
Actions, Speech