Characterization & Theme

After Dark Chapters 6 and 7

After today…• I can analyze the way an author uses

characterization to support a theme.• I can identify an author uses significant

characterization to illuminate the meaning of a text.

Characterization Review

• Let’s review…

Direct: I am a lazy slob.

Indirect: When I got home yesterday, I ate an entire pizza and never wiped the grease off my fingers. Although my house was dirty, I didn’t give it the deep clean it needed. Instead, I attached Swiffer sheets to the dog’s feet.

How does this relate to theme?

• Generally speaking, being a slob comes with consequences.

- Poor job prospects- Lack of success in relationships- Health issues- Cheetos dust on all of your clothes

• There’s a lesson here about being a slob. What is it?

• This is how characterization works. It shows us the consequences of certain character traits.

Example from Breaking Bad

• Walter White is a humble high school Chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. Worried that his family won’t be able to survive financially if he dies, he decides to start making and selling meth, using his chemistry expertise. He evolves into quite a different person through this experience.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMEq1mGpP5A“I am the one who knocks.” – conversation with his wife

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DslPaayoB30“I’m in the empire business.” – conversation with his partner

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10czUKzpbgg“Tread lightly.” – conversation with his brother-in-law (who is a DEA agent)

• Even if you haven’t seen the show, you can probably identify a few character traits about Walter White based on these short clips. Write them on your guided notes.

Consequences• Spoiler ahead: Deal with it! This is the last scene from

the series (Walter has taken a bullet to the abdomen in case you can’t tell…)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1vIdyGP-7o

• Not to oversimplify things, but let’s look at what we know.-Teacher gets terminally ill.-Teacher makes meth.-Teacher gets rich.-Teacher gets better.-Teacher gets arrogant and ambitious.-Teacher dies.

• Looking at the last two character traits, let’s formulate a theme that relates to the characterization we’ve witnessed.

Possible Theme Statement

• Sometimes in life, too much pride and ambition can cause a person to become arrogant and cold-hearted, thus leading to their downfall and possibly even their demise.

After Dark Practice• In pairs, choose one of our main characters from

the text so far (Mari, Eri, Kaoru, Takahashi, Shirakawa).

• Identify 2 RELATED/CONNECTED character traits and find a quote from the text to support each.

• Identify a consequence of these character traits.• Formulate a theme statement that covers both

characterization and theme.• Disclaimer: I know. We are not finished with the

book. Do this based on what we know so far.