Reading Art and the art of reading

1
Reading Artand the art of reading

• (Elements of the Short Story)

EQ What does a carefully crafted character add
to a short story? ELA9RL1.a Locates and
analyzes such elements in fiction as character
development.
Monet, Claude. Wisteria. 1919. Oil on canvas.
Paris, Musée Marmottan
2

• Authors develop CHARACTER through both direct and
  indirect methods.
• narration with either implied or explicit
  judgment
• narration with no judgment
• physical description

• characters actions
• characters speech
• characters thoughts and feelings

Hopper, Edward. Nighthawks. 1942, oil on canvas.
The Art Institute of Chicago.
3
Choose a character from the painting below and
write a short scene using at least 4 of the 6
methods of characterization. While you must
consider setting, point-of-view, and conflict to
create a scene, your main consideration should be
on character development.
Hopper, Edward. Nighthawks. 1942, oil on canvas.
The Art Institute of Chicago.
4
Share your scene with a partner. As you read your
partners scene, identify the methods of
characterization used. Did the writer engage you,
help you identify with the character, make you
care what happens to the character? How could
your partner improve the development of the
character?
Hopper, Edward. Nighthawks. 1942, oil on canvas.
The Art Institute of Chicago.