Characterization
The definition of characterization
How an author reveals a character's personality traits
The definition of an inference
Using text evidence and prior knowledge to make an educated guess
Genre of "Fish Cheeks" and "My Mother's Garden"
Personal narrative
The difference between direct and indirect characterization
Direct: When the author directly tells us what a character is like
Indirect: When we have to infer what a character is like
The launch of the rocket Falcon 9 has been postponed while NASA evaluates a problem with the new robot arm on space station Alpha. The arm will be used to carry out the installation of a new U.S.-built airlock on the space station. Which of the following can we infer from this passage?
A. The robot space arm is critical to the space shuttle's mission.
B. The robot arm was poorly constructed.
C. The space shuttle experiences frequent launch delays.
D. The space program is very expensive.
A
Fish Cheeks: Narrator was embarrassed by her family's Christmas dinner
My Mother's Garden: Narrator struggled with being poor in a school where her peers were well-off
Direct or indirect?
"Ms. Trinkle is a really mean lady."
Direct
The house was in a state of disarray. Clean and dirty laundry was strewn across the couch and the sink was full of baby bottles. Loud crying could be heard from the back bedroom, and Tamara put her head in her hands.
What can we infer?
Answers may vary- up to judge
Describe the narrator in "Fish Cheeks" as a character
Answers may vary- Chinese, young girl, embarrassed/ashamed of her culture
Direct or indirect?
"Ms. Trinkle took a pencil and threw it at Bryce. He was talking during a test, and she just wasn't having it."
Indirect
Pablo slowly got off the ground and wiped the dust from his pants. There were several tears in both legs. He could see blood through the holes. He picked the gravel from his wounds, wiped off the dust and looked at the motorbike. The bike was on its side, the front wheel was turned around, and the wheel was spinning. Pablo's elbow and shoulder hurt as he struggled to pull the heavy bike upright once again. He got back on his seat and headed once more for home. When he got there, he quickly grabbed the hose and sprayed the motorbike. He wiped it down with a rag from his father's garage and then parked it against the wall. He walked into his house where his mother was shocked to see him. "Oh my! By heavens, what happened to you, Pablo?" Pablo did not even hesitate, "I got attacked by a dog after school by Jalen's house. It was one of his neighbor's dogs."
How did Pablo injure himself?
Motorbike accident
Describe the narrator of "My Mother's Garden" as a character
Answers may vary: Young girl, Black, poor, attends a wealthy school, embarrassed of where she lives
S- Speech
T- Thoughts
E- Effects
A- Action
L- Looks
Tony was delighted to see the pavement disappearing under the attack of the bulldozers. The more green park, the better, he thought. His delight gradually turned to concern, however, when it became clear that the construction workers were also laying the forms for new pavement, much more pavement than had been there before.
Which of the following can you infer from the passage above?
A. Tony was in the construction business.
B. Tony enjoyed spending time in the park.
C. Tony was an avid environmentalist.
D. Tony was in the construction business.
C
3 minute question:
In three sentences, compare and contrast "Fish Cheeks" and "My Mother's Garden." Your answer should contain at least two similarities and two differences.
Answers will vary- up to judge