Inferring Character Feelings and Traits

Use a character's words, actions, and thoughts to infer feelings and personality.

Authors often show what characters are like instead of telling you. You infer feelings, which change from moment to moment, and traits, which describe someone's personality over time, by looking at what characters say, do, and think, and how others react to them. Read: 'Even though Ben was tired after practice, he stayed to help the coach collect every ball.

When a younger player dropped his water bottle, Ben jogged over to hand it back. ' Ben is never called kind or helpful, but his actions show it again and again. So a trait we can infer is that Ben is helpful. A feeling we can infer is tired, because the text says so, but he chooses to help anyway.

• 1Feelings change; traits describe personality over time.
• 2Look at what characters say, do, and think.
• 3Repeated actions reveal traits.