Character Questions
Identify and explain the ways that characters, settings and events combine to create meaning in narratives.
‘What is this character like?’ is the most common literature question there is. Writers almost never tell you directly, so there are four places to look — and the answer is always built from evidence, never from your impression.
Builds onYr 7 · Inference — P.E.E.
Method
The four places to look
What they say · what they do · what others say about them · what the writer says about them.
Actions beat statements
A character who says they are generous and never gives anything away is not generous. The gap is usually the point.
Never write a character is ‘nice’
Use a precise word — guarded, impulsive, loyal, defensive, dismissive — then prove it.
Characters change
If a question covers a whole text, say what they were like at the start and what changed.
Worked example
e.g. What kind of person is the narrator's brother? Refer to the text in your answer. (3)
- Choose a precise word first. Do not start writing until you have it.Guarded.
- Look at what he does. Actions are your strongest evidence.He answers questions with questions.
- Look at what he says, and how much of it.He speaks four times in the whole chapter, never in more than five words.
- Look at what others say about him.Their mother calls him “the quiet one”, which the narrator disagrees with.
- Explain what your evidence shows. This carries the marks.Answering with questions keeps other people talking, so nothing is ever asked of him.
- Count the marks and count your points. Three marks means three, each with evidence.Guarded · avoids disclosure · others misread him as merely shy.
Practice
Each of these is a habit that costs marks.
1
A learner writes: He is a nice person and quite friendly. What is wrong?
AnswerThe words are too vague to prove or disprove, and no evidence is given. Choose a precise word — welcoming, eager to please, unguarded — and show where the text supports it.
2
A character insists she is not frightened, then checks the lock twice. Which do you believe?
AnswerThe action. When what a character says and what they do disagree, the disagreement is the answer — she is frightened and does not want it known.
3
Why is what other characters say about someone useful but risky?
AnswerIt shows how the character is seen, which is real evidence. But other characters can be wrong or biased — so say who thinks it, and whether the text supports them.
4
A 3-mark character question. How many separate qualities should you give?
AnswerUsually three, each with its own evidence — or one quality traced through three moments. One quality with one example will not reach three marks.