U4 Across Five Aprils Skill: Character

Define

Every work of fiction or drama needs characters. Whether they are people or animals, robots or creatures from outer space,
their thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions drive the plot. Characters move the action forward, so they are inseparable from
the plot. Authors construct characters through description, dialogue, and situations that reveal their personalities and traits,
such as whether they are honest or devious, humorous or clever.

The main character in a story or play—the one the story revolves around and who usually has a problem to solve—is called the
protagonist. The character whose goals work against the protagonist is called the antagonist. Minor characters provide
support for the protagonist and antagonist, helping to reveal aspects of their personalities. Think of the plot as the engine, and
the main character as the person behind the steering wheel.

Identification and Application:

●When reading fiction, examine what characters say to one another.

○Particular lines of dialogue in a story can reveal aspects of a character or influence a character’s
decisions.

○Note how characters react to what others say and do. These reactions also reveal character
traits and may show the reason for a character’s decisions.

○A character’s thoughts can also help readers understand the character’s actions and decisions.

●Examine how fictional characters are affected by plot events.

○Plot events often propel characters into action.

○Characters often make decisions in response to events as they occur in a story.

○Notice how plot events influence changes in characters’ thoughts and behavior.

Model

Unlike point of view, a character’s traits or personality is not one of the first things readers notice in a work of literature. Authors
generally take their time revealing aspects of characters in a story, through dialogue and the characters’ reactions to plot events. In this
excerpt from Across Five Aprils, notice how author Irene Hunt reveals information about the characters through dialogue and their
reactions to historical events that have shaped the political crisis they must now face.

Then Bill spoke for the first time, his eyes still on the yellow light of the lamp.

“Slavery, I hate. But it is with us and them that should suffer fer the evil they brought to our shores air long dead. What I want us
to answer in this year of 1861 is this: John, does the trouble over slavery come because men’s hearts is purer above the
Mason-Dixon line? Or does slavery throw a shadder over greed and keep that greed from showin’ up quite so bare and ugly?”

Wilse Graham seemed to leap at Bill’s question. “You’re right, Cousin Bill. It’s greed not slavery that’s stirring up this trouble. And
as fer human goodness, men’s hearts is jest as black today as in the Roman times when they nailed slaves to crosses by the hundred
and left them there to point up a lesson.”

Matt Creighton shook his head. “Human nature ain’t any better one side of a political line than on the other. We all know that—but
human nature—the all-over picture of it is better than it was a thousand—five hundred—even a hundred years ago. There is an
awakenin’ inside us of human decency and responsibility. If I didn’t believe that I wouldn’t grieve fer the children I’ve buried. I
wouldn’t look forward to the manhood of this youngest one.”

Model

Bill and Matthew Creighton and their cousin Wilse Graham are discussing the issue of slavery, whether it should be
outlawed, or whether it should be allowed to continue throughout the South. Through dialogue, the author propels the
action forward. This is a disagreement that has led to the secession of many Southern states from the Union. It will
ultimately lead to civil war, which will involve the three men.

The dialogue also reveals aspects of each man’s personality. For example, Wilse “seemed to leap at Bill’s question” and
says “It’s greed not slavery that’s stirring up this trouble. And as fer human goodness, men’s hearts is jest as black today
as in the Roman times.” Matt Creighton, on the other hand, shakes his head in reaction to Wilse’s comments and counters
this argument by saying that “human nature ain’t any better one side of a political line than on the other ...There is an
awakenin’ inside us of human decency and responsibility. If I didn’t believe that I wouldn’t grieve fer the children I’ve
buried.” Matt’s character traits are revealed by how he responds to Wilse. He can be described as optimistic, decent, and
caring.

Your Turn

Reread this section from Across Five Aprils to determine how dialogue can reveal aspects of a character.

Then Bill spoke for the first time, his eyes still on the yellow light of the lamp.

“Slavery, I hate. But it is with us and them that should suffer fer the evil they brought to our shores air long dead. What I want
us to answer in this year of 1861 is this: John, does the trouble over slavery come because men’s hearts is purer above the
Mason-Dixon line? Or does slavery throw a shadder over greed and keep that greed from showin’ up quite so bare and ugly?”