Roles and Perception

Characterization and Characters

Have you ever thought about the importance of the characters in a narrative? How would you like your favorite story if the characters were never developed? Characterization, or the art of creating characters for a narrative, is extremely important. Read a description of each type of characterization below;

• Direct characterization – the author provides the reader with descriptive words or phrases to reveal the character traits of the characters.
• Indirect characterization – the author reveals the personality of a character through the characters’ thoughts, actions, and appearance.

Types of Characters

While there are two ways that the author can convey given information about the character, there are four different character types. In this interactivity, click on each of the tabs to learn about the different types of characters you will find in a narrative. Click the player button to get started.

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Point of View

Authors will also use point of view to mold their writing. Together with characterization, the author can use point of view to fix your attention on every detail in the writing. The author can emphasize major points, draw out emotion, or inject opinion by using point of view. In this interactivity, click on each of the markers to explore the different points of view that authors can use in literature. Click the player button to get started.

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Occupation: Conductorette

In the 1940s, the world was at war. America was fighting both a war in the Pacific and in Europe. Millions of Americans were fighting in World War II. With so many men fighting the war, women went to work in the industry field. This is a field where women had previously been excluded. African-American women were still facing extreme prejudice in the United States; however, many were able to find new opportunities. Author Maya Angelou tries to capture the struggle to find work on the street cars of San Francisco during one of the toughest times in America’s history in her work "Occupation: Conductorette."

 

Analysis

As the narrator reveals what she perceives to be her shortcomings, she ultimately faces and overcomes what has oppressed her.  Because of the roles and the perceptions of others, she, being African-American as well as a woman, had to face the residual effects of racism and discrimination. Because of her strong will and determination, she accomplished what she set out to achieve – becoming a conductorette.

 

Socities' Influence on Role

When analyzing any literary work, it is very important to know some background information about the author. For example, did you know “Occupation: Conductorette,” by Maya Angelou, actually described her life. At the age of fourteen, Maya dropped out of San Francisco’s Labor School to become the first African-American cable car conductor. She is now a celebrated poet, novelist, educator, producer, and civil rights activist. You will now analyze the poetry of two female authors with very different backgrounds. Learning their background information will enable you see their perception of societies' influence on role.

An Analysis of "Sadie and Maud" and "Barbie Doll"

In this interactivity, you will learn about Gwendolyn Brooks and Marge Piercy and their contributions to poetry in order to analyze their poems, “Sadie and Maud” and "Barbie Doll." Click the player button to get started.

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Roles and Perception Review

Now that you have explored the three literary works from this topic, it is time to check your knowledge. In this non-graded interactivity, read the quote, and then drag the appropriate answer into the blank space provided. To check your answer click SUBMIT. Click the player button to get started.