Character's Purpose/Context Clues
Clue: The central character of a story who drives the main action and pursues the primary goal.
Answer: What is the protagonist?
Clue: The setting of a story consists of two things: physical location and this other factor.
Answer: What is time (or time period/era)?
Clue: A character who undergoes a significant, permanent internal change in values or personality by the end of the story.
Answer: What is a dynamic character?
Clue: A psychological struggle taking place entirely within a character's mind or conscience.
Answer: What is an internal conflict?
What does the R stand for?
Restate the question!
What do you want for breakfast?
For breakfast, I want...
Clue: The character or force that directly opposes the main character and creates major obstacles.
Answer: What is the antagonist?
Clue: The overall emotional feeling or atmosphere created in the reader through sensory details in the setting.
Answer: What is mood?
Clue: A character who does not change in personality, beliefs, and outlook throughout the entire story.
Answer: What is a static character?
Clue: Any struggle between a character and an outside force, such as another person, technology, or physical obstacle.
Answer: What is an external conflict?
What does the A stand for?
Answer the question!
Unlike her messy and disorganized sister, Elena was fastidious, spending hours aligning every pencil and wiping down every surface until not a single speck of dust remained.
Using context clues, what does FASTIDIOUS mean?
Very clean and attentive to details.
Clue: A group of wizards have magically locked kids into a castle and are waiting for them outside.
Answer: What is Man vs. supernatural?
Clue: Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is a classic example of this character type because of his total change of heart.
Answer: What is a dynamic character?
Clue: A protagonist wrestling with intense personal guilt, moral doubt, or regret is experiencing Man vs. _____.
Answer: What is Person vs. Self?
What does the C stand for?
Cite evidence from the story! Find what was said in the story to make you think that's the answer.
While his brother was extremely chatty and talked to anyone, Marcus remained taciturn, preferring to sit in quiet silence and offer only brief, one-word answers.
Using context clues, what does taciturn mean?
Reserved, quiet, not talkative.
Clue: A setting defined by strict government surveillance and total control drives this primary conflict.
Answer: What is Man vs. Society?
Clue: A character who is fully fleshed out and complex, yet never actually changes their core motivation or behavior, is described as this combination.
A _________ __________ character
Answer: What is a round static character?
Clue: A character standing up against unjust laws, systemic discrimination, or community traditions is facing this external conflict.
Answer: What is Person vs. Society?
Explain! Explain how that quote made you think that answer.
The beauty of the perfect rainbow was ephemeral, vanishing completely within just a few minutes.
Using context clues, what does ephemeral mean?
Lasting for a short time.
As night fell over the isolated arctic tundra, a sudden sub-zero blizzard knocked out Maya’s shelter generator and froze her emergency radio. With indoor temperatures plunging and no way to call for help, the brutal environment forced her into a desperate struggle: stay inside and freeze, or risk venturing out into the blinding whiteout to reach the distant supply store.
What is the conflict of this story (man vs...) and how does the setting impact it?
Clue: A dynamic character's central internal shift or realization typically occurs during this high-tension point on a plot diagram.
Answer: What is the climax?
Clue: A character fighting against a pre-determined destiny or a curse imposed by divine forces falls under this conflict subtype.
Answer: What is Man vs. Fate (or Person vs. Supernatural)?
How many sentences should this RACE writing paragraph be?
FOUR! R...A...C...E...