Characters in Oral Narratives

 

Characters in Oral Narratives

Characters are the people, animals or objects that make the events in the story happen. Our focus story has two main characters: the crow and the fox. Characters can be classified in the following ways:

Main characters and minor characters

Main character is the character that the conflict of the story is centred around. He or she contributes to the conflict in the story. In short , the story revolves around them and what they do or say. The main characters in our focus story are the fox and the crow.

Minor characters are the characters that add little or no contribution to the conflict in the story. There are there to support the main characters in the story.

Protagonists and antagonists

Protagonist is the main character in the story that faces a problem. He or she is always the audience favourite as they sympathize with him or her. They are naturally good based on their actions as they mean no evil to anyone. The crow is a good example of the protagonist.

The antagonist is the character that causes the protagonist problems. They frustrate the protagonist through their actions and speeches. They are naturally evil in the story. The fox here is an example of antagonist.

 

Roles of characters in Oral Narratives

Why do we have characters in a story?

Characters play significant roles in a story and without them,there is no story.

The following are some of the roles played by characters in the story:

1.They develop the plot of the story. Through the characters, the events and actions in the story happen. The fox for instance develops the  plot by having desire for the crow’s cheese,saying the cheese is his as he is a fox,going over to the crow to get the cheese.

2. Characters develop the main idea in the story. Based on their actions, one can identify the main idea in the story. The action of the fox shows the idea of greed and deception.

3. Characters also develop other characters.  Through the fox, we learn that the crow is gullible as she is easily deceived by the praises of the fox and agrees to sing for me. She loses her cheese.

4. Characters also develop the moral lessons learnt in the story. Through the fox, we learn that we should not always trust flatters.

5. Characters develop features of style.  Through the fox, we get aspects of styles such as direct speech. “That will do,” said he

 

Characterization in oral narratives

This refers to how various characters are brought  out in the story. The description we give how they are brought out is called character traits.  We use adjectives to describe character traits. When the fox says ‘That’s’s for me as I am a fox.’,it shows that the fox is selfish.  This is his character trait. He only cares about himself and desires to possess what belongs to others.

The following are some of the adjectives used to describe character traits:

1.Brave- Showing courage in the face of danger or adversity.

 A character who faces a fearsome enemy without hesitation.

 

2.Loyal -Faithful to a cause, person, or duty.

      A character who stands by their friend or leader, even in difficult times.

 

3.Cunning-Skilled at achieving goals through cleverness, often with a degree of deceit.

A character who outsmarts others to get what they want.

 

         4.Generous- Willing to give and share unselfishly.

 A character who helps others without expecting anything in return.

 

          5.Honest-Truthful and sincere, not deceitful.

 A character who always tells the truth, even when it’s difficult.

 

         6.Cruel- Willfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern for it.

 A villain who enjoys harming others for pleasure or gain.

 

 

 

How to Identify Character Traits of Characters in Oral Narratives

To identify and describe the character traits of characters in a narrative, look at the following:

 

1.Direct Characterization

 The storyteller may directly describe a character’s traits by saying exactly their trait for example ‘The hare was a cunning animal’ or they can describe the actions to reveal their traits. ‘The hare cheated his friend’ This shows the hare’s character as dishonest.

2.Actions and  Deeds

 Characters are often defined by their actions. A hero's bravery is shown through their deeds, while a villain’s evil nature is revealed through harmful actions. The fox snapping the cheese from the crow shows he is greedy.

3.Dialogue and Speech:

How a character speaks can reveal much about their personality, status, or intentions. For instance  in this speech ‘How well you are looking today:’ the fox comes out as scheming and cunning. He entices the fox by praising her so as to take her cheese

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