Character Development Worksheet

關於此範本

Character Development Template

Many literary works focus on character development. There are different kinds of characters and they have some personality traits that define them. However, those can change throughout the book. In general, these are the main characters, but sometimes, you can also learn the development of certain secondary characters.

Use this template to think about the character’s behavior and feelings and draw conclusions regarding its development during the literary work.

Find out if the characters have had any behavioral changes and what caused those changes. Compare the way the character acted before and after those changes.

Analyze both the internal and external factors that caused those changes.

Find out more details about the feelings of the character you are analyzing. How does the character feel in different situations that he encounter? His feelings have changed during the book? What caused that change?

You can find information about a character from the way the character responds to different situations and the way he interacts with the other characters. Maybe some of them express their point of view about the character you are analyzing. Being careful with the indirect presentation of the character will help you figure out his changes and development in relation to others.

Character's Name

Name the character


Type in the name of the character whose change throughout the story you are going to analyze.

Example: Nick Carraway.

BEHAVIOR

Character's behavior

Think of the character's behavior at the beginning of the story and look for the way it changed throughout the story.

The reason for the change in behavior

Type in the explanation for the character's change of behavior.

Example: He became so involved with dishonest and careless people that he began to resemble them.

The reason for the change in behavior

What caused the character to change the first behavior you mentioned? Type in the reason for the change.

Example: 'because no one else was interested ', and he felt Gatsby shouldn't be left alone in his last moments.

Change in behavior

In what way did the character change the other behavior(s) you mentioned? Type in a relevant quote.

Example:
'You said a bad driver was only safe until she met another bad driver? Well, I met another bad driver, didn't I? [...]
I thought you were rather an honest, straightforward person. I thought it was your secret pride.'

Change in behavior

How did the character change the first behavior you mentioned? Type in a quote to prove your statement.

Example: Nick assumes the whole responsibility for Gatsby's funeral arrangements, 'with that intense personal interest to which every one has some vague right at the end.'

Initial behavior

What is the character's behavior at the beginning of the story? Type in a relevant quote for your statement.

Example: Nick seems to be an honest person, calling himself 'one of the few honest people that I have ever known'.

Initial behavior

How does the character act at the beginning of the story? Type in a relevant quote for your statement.

Example: Nick shows his immature side as he leaves to New York in order to avoid 'being rumored into marriage' with his girlfriend.

FEELINGS

Character's feelings

Focus on the way the character's feelings are presented at the beginning and at the end of the story, while explaining why they have changed.

CAUSE

The reason for the change of feelings

What caused the character to change the first belief you mentioned? Type in the reason for the change.

Example: disgust towards the lack of morality in the Buchanan family.

Cause

The reason for the change of feelings


Why did the character change his feelings? Type in the answer.

Example: the East lost its appeal due to the shallowness, carelessness and corruption.

AFTER

Change of feelings

How did the character change the belief you mentioned?

Type in a relevant quote for his change.

Example: 'Winter night and the real snow, our snow(...)We drew in deep breaths of it . . . unutterably aware of our identity with this country for one strange hour before we melted indistinguishably into it again. That's my middle-west.' - Nick on the purity and integrity of Midwest.

Change of feelings

In what way did the character change the feeling you mentioned?

Type in a quote to support your statement.

Example: 'They are a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.' - Nick criticizing the Buchanans.

BEFORE

Initial feelings

What was the character's initial belief? Type in a relevant quote.

Example: 'seems like the ragged edge of the universe' - Nick talking about Midwest, the place where he grew up.

Quote

Initial feelings


How does the character feel about a certain subject at the beginning of the story? Type in a relevant quote to support your statement.

Example: "Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope."

Literary work

Title


Type in the title and author of the literary work that introduces the character.

Example: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.