ENGLISH 7

Lesson 2: Characters, Characterization, and Conflict

A character is a person, animal, thing, or creature that speaks and moves in a story. Whether the
character is real or fictional, a person or creature, it falls into any of these kinds:
1. The major character is the central figure in a story. It is otherwise known as the protagonist or
the character usually in conflict with an antagonist.

Example: With the story revolving around her, Uning is the protagonist in “The Origin of the
Ricebird,” while Cotiling, her stepmother, is the antagonist.

2. The minor character does not take the spotlight as the major character does. It only appears
once or twice in shorter narratives and in some chapters in longer narratives.

Example: Saki-ing, Uning’s mother, is a minor character.

3. A confidante, much like in real life, is a character in a story whose role is to listen to the major
character’s thoughts and emotions. Some of the major character’s secrets might be revealed to
the confidante.

Example: Although not explicitly mentioned, the Moon-god is Uning’s confidante, having heard
her lamentation in the story.

4. A foil bears characteristics, traits, and appearance opposite to that of the major character. The
purpose of the foil is to highlight the traits of the major character.

Example: Cotiling, whose morals are opposite to that of the major character Uning, is a foil
character.

5. A stock is also known as a literary archetype. Readers and audiences recognize a stock
because its role is universal and appears in most narratives. A hero, a bad boy, a knight in
shining armor, a damsel in distress, and an old person who grants wishes are some examples of
stock characters.

Example: In the Philippine epic Biag ni Lam-Ang, Lam-Ang is an immortal character who fights
evil on his quest. He is considered a hero, thus, a stock character.

6. A flat character is a two-dimensional character lacking depth and complexity. The readers do
not learn much from this character, and significant developments are absent on this character
throughout the story. In contrast, a round character is a well-thought-out character, and the
reader learns much from this character.

Example: Only mentioned once, Saki-ing, or Uning’s mother, is a flat character. While Cotiling,
with her involvement in the story, is a round character.

7. A static character does not undergo much change in the story, while a dynamic character
undergoes major changes in the plot of the story.

Example: Because of her cruelty throughout the story, Cotiling is a static character. Uning turns
from pitying herself to blaming Cotiling for her misfortune, which makes her a dynamic
character.

ACTIVITY 1.
Directions: Read the narrative poem below. Evaluate the truthfulness of the statements by
writing true or false.
The Legend of the Camia Flower
In the village of Palanan, Rizal Out of respect
Datu Manti led a tribe— Datu Manti buried the hand
A peaceful one in his garden
From the fantastic tales of the village folk and a little plant of white fragrant flowers
he heard of Medita grew on the spot
 an incredibly lovely maiden When a Spaniard passed by
who was loved and admired by a nuno (evil caught a glimpse of the flowers
spirit) and wished to know their name.
One day on his hunt Without a definite answer
Datu Manti saw Medita Datu Manti pointed at the plant
beside a stream And said, “Iyan ang kamay niya.”
with only her long hair (That is her hand.)
to cover her body Not understanding the dialect,
Dazzled and attracted, the Spaniard
Manti approached, jotted down the name
but she panicked at sight of him as camia.
and leaped into the water And camia it has been called since.
uprising her right arm
to heaven
Grabbing her hand
Datu Manti pulled her back
In vain
Medita sank out of sight
leaving only her hand

______1. Medita is a stock character.

______2. Datu Manti is a major character.
______3. The Spaniard is a round character.
______4. There is no foil character in the poem.
______5. Some characters, like the ones in “The Legend of the Camia Flower,” can be classified
into multiple characters.

ACTIVITY 2.
Directions: Analyze the scenario below and fill in the table of Character Identification. Justify your
answer.

Scenario:

Rina loves to play basketball. Her sister Joy cheers her on as she practices every day. During
tryouts, coach Maria chooses her best friend Tim instead of Rina for the first team, because Tim
is more confident. Rina feels disappointed but keeps practicing with Joy’s support. After a few
games, she improves and earns a spot on the varsity team.

Character Type of Character

Rina
Joy
Tim
Coach

Characterization is the act of describing a character in any literary piece, including a poem. It
may be direct or explicit. This happens when the poet describes the character or another
character does it to introduce him/her to the reader.
Example: There once lived a girl named Uning,
Pitiful was she—so young and thin.
However, indirect or implicit characterization happens when the character’s thoughts and actions
are intentionally added to the literary piece to reveal the character in a deeper manner
Example: A shelter back-basket nearby she lifted;
Whence out flew a ricebird.
“Alas! Bless me Moon-god,
For Uning has turned to be a ricebird!”
Another element of a narrative is conflict. Conflict is the struggle or opposition between two
forces. Because of it, the story moves forward. There are two types of conflict in narratives:
internal and external. Internal conflict is an opposition between a character and his/her own
thoughts and feelings. External conflict, on the other hand, is an opposition between a
character and another character, a character and the society he/she lives in, or character and
natural forces.
 Character vs. character – This is the most common type of conflict. A character meets another
character whose status, values, and perspectives are completely opposite to his/hers, which
causes struggles in his/ her life.
 Character vs. society – This occurs in a narrative when a character is in a societal norm, under
a government rule, or belonging to a tradition that does not agree with his/her situation.
 Character vs. nature – This happens when a character is in conflict with nature, such as the
weather, natural disasters, or the wilderness.
ACTIVITY 3.
Directions: Based on the poem read “The Origin of the Ricebird,” identify the type of conflict
expressed in each of the statements below. Write the letter corresponding to your answer on the
line before each number.
A – character vs. character
B – character vs. society
C – character vs. nature
_____1. Uning laments the situation she is in.
_____2. Cotiling was always selfish and indifferent to Uning.
_____3. “Cotiling you can see the outcome of your cruelty.”
_____4. Uning was in the custody of Cotiling, who wasn’t in her best interest.
_____5. When Cotiling was about to bring food, she discovered that Uning turned into a ricebird.

ACTIVITY 4.
A. Directions: Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.
1. Characters are the persons, animals, or figures represented in a literary work.
2. Conflict is a problem that the main character/s face/s in the narrative poem.
3. Character vs. society is a type of conflict where the main character faces opposition or
challenges from another character.
4. Character vs. character involves a character who opposes the norms and rules of society.
5. In character vs. environment, the character faces external forces in the natural world or their
surroundings.
6. Characterization, which refers to the techniques used by the poet, shows the traits of
characters in their poems.
7. A character who opposes the protagonist is called a confidante.
8. The main character in a story is called a narrator.
9. A character that does not change from beginning to the end of the story is called a flat
character.
10. A story about children coping with big typhoon is an example of a character vs. nature
conflict.

B. Directions: Read the mini-story and complete the table with the correct
information.

Liza lives in a small coastal village. Every year during storm

season, she helps fishermen bring their boats to safety. One
year, a giant typhoon approaches. The villagers ask her to lead
the safety efforts, but some refuse to listen. Liza stays calm
and reminds them again and again until everyone moves
inland. The storm hits, but no one is hurt.

Protagonist:
Antagonist:

Type of Conflict: