How We Meet Characters

​Analyzing Character Introduction (Direct vs. Indirect)

By Heather Crain

Success Criteria

• I can analyze the personalities, motivations, and secrets of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth by creating a character profile based on textual evidence from Chapters 1-3.

Open Ended

This lesson's vocab word: Ignominy (n.) public shame or disgrace.

Prompt: "The novel uses the word ignominy to describe Hester's punishment on the scaffold. In your opinion, what is the difference between private guilt (a secret feeling) and public ignominy (a punishment everyone sees)? Which do you think is a worse punishment and why?

How We Meet Characters

• Speech: What does the character say?

• Thoughts: What are their private thoughts/feelings?

• Effect on Others: How do other characters react to them?

• Actions: What does the character do?

• Looks: What does the character look like? (e.g., Dimmesdale's "melancholy" mien)

​Steal Method

• Yesterday we analyzed symbols. Today, we analyze people.

  • When an author introduces a character, they don't just give a list of traits. They show us who the character is.

    • This is called Indirect Characterization.

​Teacher Talk:

"Today, you're going to use the 'STEAL' method to build a social media profile for one of our main characters. You have to infer their personality from the clues in Chapters 1-3.

Social Media Post

• "In your groups, you will complete a profile for your assigned character."

• "Your profile must be based only on evidence from Chapters 1-3.

• Profile Pic: Don't find a movie photo. Find a symbolic image that represents them).

• Bio (1-2 sentences): Who are they? What do they care about?

• Recent Posts (2-3): Write 2-3 short "status updates" from their perspective. This is where you'll use textual evidence.

Poll

Whose was the hardest profile to make?

• Hester Prynne

• Dimmesdale

• Chillingworth

Open Ended

Hawthorne (the author) doesn't provide as much information on Chillingworth and Dimmesdale; why do you think he's holding back that information?

Homework

• Homework: Review Chapters 1-3 for the quiz.

• Reminder: Reading Quiz 1 is Monday