Main content
Course: 2nd grade reading & vocabulary > Unit 3
Lesson 3: Close reading: fictionCharacter actions in stories | Reading
Character actions drive stories forward and reveal their personalities. By observing how characters react to situations, we learn about their motives, values, and goals. Actions can also show how characters change throughout a story. To understand characters better, look for evidence in the text and consider their thoughts and feelings.
Want to join the conversation?
- So, say a girl tries to break a vase. If she tried, would that express the emotion of anger? Or, would you not be able to tell her emotions from that action? The only thing I can think of, is that she would be angry, or sad.
Example: Marsha STOMPS ( action ) to her bedroom, and SLAMS ( action ) the door.
What could her emotion be? She seems angry.
Is this a correct?(48 votes)- I think that saying she's angry would be a logical guess as to what she is feeling, yes.
Knowing that someone simply tried to break a vase, however, I don't believe we can make a guess as to what they might be feeling, as it could be any number of emotions. Angry might be an emotion, but what if she's jealous of something? Maybe, someone she knows got a new vase that she wanted, and out of jealousy, she broke it just so this person couldn't have it? There are a lot of things we could read into here, and without context, it would be difficult to tell.
Specifics aside, yes, I think anger would be a fairly accurate guess as to what she's feeling.(43 votes)
- In the very first kingdom, Kim says they don't even nap or eat anything or drink anything.
=> Will they die if they only sit still? Anyone answer me please?(35 votes)- Yes,but the point David is trying to make is that with no actions there is no story. Not that without food,water and sleep we will all die.(1 vote)
- What happens when there are very few actions in a story?(10 votes)
- It would probably not be very good story, in that case. The story would be flat and not very interesting. There's a possibility that the story has more "thoughts" and "thinking" where the brain is doing the action, but I don't believe that there are tons of books like that. Who knows, I could be wrong!(7 votes)
- I think that knowing the rules of writing is good, but breaking the rules is even better! I want to tell a new story about how the big bad wolf wanted to be nice to the three pigs. I don't think about the cause and effect of things. I just write what I want.. and I consider it creative.. or am I very wrong in that? give me your opinion!(4 votes)
- It’s great that you want to write a new story! Writing is a creative process and there are no hard and fast rules. However, it’s important to keep in mind that stories should have a structure and follow some basic principles of storytelling. While breaking the rules can be a good thing, it’s also important to understand why the rules exist in the first place.
In your story about the big bad wolf wanting to be nice to the three pigs, you can definitely take some creative liberties with the plot. However, it’s still important to think about how the characters’ actions will affect the story and how they will interact with each other. Cause and effect is an important part of storytelling and can help make your story more engaging for readers.
Overall, I think it’s great that you’re exploring your creativity and trying new things with your writing. Just remember that while breaking the rules can be good, it’s also important to understand why they exist in the first place. Good luck with your writing! 😊(5 votes)
- Is the person who visited the first kingdom and explained about the area not a character?(3 votes)
- No that would be the narrator. This Narrator does not seem to be apart of the story but rather telling it from an outsider perspective.(3 votes)
- What happens when there are very few actions in a story(2 votes)
- It would probably not be very good story, in that case. The story would be flat and not very interesting. There's a possibility that the story has more "thoughts" and "thinking" where the brain is doing the action, but I don't believe that there are tons of books like that. Who knows, I could be wrong!(4 votes)
- Who else likes the "evil wizard" tower?(3 votes)
- I like Kim's voice better than David's voice(3 votes)
- Are emotions an action too?(2 votes)
- Emotions are not an action, it is a feeling. It is a feeling characters have. They can't have emotions. They FEEL emotions.
I hope this helps.(3 votes)
- so,lets say this. Im gonna make a story up. once upun a time there lived a sly fox and a sneaky wolf they once got hungry so they went to the farm across the forest as the fox distracted the farmer the wolf managed to get a sheep and two rabbits the wolf ate the pig and the fox ate the rabbits. THE END I'm expressing the characters acting and there personalinty was that a good story?-Kelsey brann(2 votes)
- I'm no expert, but I'd say yes, because there is character action, but they stole a sheep, not the sheep they supposedley ate(2 votes)
Video transcript
- [David] Hello, readers. Today it is a time for action. (horn blares) Yes, sound the horn of action, because today we're
going to be talking about character actions in stories. Understanding what characters do is key to your success as a reader. The way characters behave
towards themselves, towards others, towards objects, can tell us a lot about them and can give us clues to the
larger messages in a story. Character actions are what
drive a story forward. Let my co-worker Kim read you a story in which nobody takes any actions. - [Kim] Once upon a time,
there was a magical kingdom in which nobody ever did anything. Nobody baked bread or called
their friends on the phone or played video games
or soccer or basketball or wrote books or ate yogurt. They didn't even nap. They just sat there. (Kim yawns) It was a very boring kingdom. - [David] Why, thank you, Kim. Without character action,
there is no story. Let's try that again. I'll blow the horn of action
and Kim you do that again, but this time let's throw
in some character decisions. All right, lights, camera, horn of action. (horn blares) - [Kim] The magical kingdom of Belchantry was abuzz with activity. Bakers baked, ballers shot hoops, yogurt smiths made yogurt. The young princess Lulabell
practiced her swordplay. And on a great tower on
the outskirts of town an evil wizard put the
finishing touches on a spell that would bring terrible
darkness to the land. - [David] See, now that's
a story I wanna hear. Character actions and decisions
have to drive the story. It's about what characters choose to do, not just about the world around them. There could be a big, scary storm, but that's not character action. It's about how the
characters react to the storm that matters, that shapes the story. What do characters do in times of trouble or when their friends need help? That's when you can learn
the most about them. Actions speak louder
than words, after all. What motivates these characters? Why do they act the way they act? What are the values or
beliefs that drive them? What are their goals? And what does that tell us
about the message of the story? Sometimes characters don't
behave in the way that we expect, like villainous characters may seem nice in order to do evil things. If we think about "The Three Little Pigs." If the Big Bad Wolf is going
door to door and saying, "Hello, little pig. "It's me, your new neighbor,
the Small Nice Wolf. "And I brought you some cookies." If you're the pig looking out the window, you should open the door, right? Heek no! The wolf is trying to
trick you, lock the door. What's interesting about
looking at character actions is they can help us see
how characters change throughout a story. In the film "Moana," the demi-god character Maui begins as a selfish tricky character, but by the end of the movie he's changed and he cares about Moana and helps her. We can see that because of his actions. He begins by stealing Moana's boat and stranding her on an island, and he ends by sacrificing his
magic fish hook to help her. Sorry for "Moana" spoilers. Characters in stories can be
complex, just like real people. The way they behave might surprise you. And if it does, ask yourself,
why is this a surprise? Why is this character
behaving in this way? Look for evidence throughout a text to help you understand
the way characters act. If you've insight into
their thoughts or feelings, that can be a great place to start. But, for now, I'm going to take
action by ending this video. You can learn anything, David out.