if you read and love it!?

Question

when you read a story and then ur teacher gives u an assignment what does it mean when she says name the traits of any character in a story?

and what does themes mean in a story?

Answer 1

What is the person like? What are their characteristics? Do they like ice cream? Are they left handed? Do they walk with a limp? Are they anti-social? Those are character traits. Your teacher wants you to do a character study of a character in the story telling as many things as you can learn about them from the story.

Here are some ways to uncover the theme in a story: Check out the title. Sometimes it tells you a lot about the theme.

Notice repeating patterns and symbols. Sometimes these lead you to the theme.

What allusions are made throughout the story?

What are the details and particulars in the story? What greater meaning may they have?

Remember that theme, plot, and structure are inseparable, all helping to inform and reflect back on each other. Also, be aware that a theme we determine from a story never completely explains the story. It is simply one of the elements that make up the whole.

Pax- C

Answer 2

Character traits are qualities in a person. For instance, honest, frightened, trustworthy, committed, etc. See the first link below for a bunch of them.

The theme is a bit more complicated. I've copied and pasted the info below, and I've also included a link to this page.

Good luck, and happy writing!



Theme

What exactly is this elusive thing called theme?

The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is its teaching. The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life and how people behave.

In fiction, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it is not presented directly at all. You extract it from the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. In other words, you must figure out the theme yourself.

The writer's task is to communicate on a common ground with the reader. Although the particulars of your experience may be different from the details of the story, the general underlying truths behind the story may be just the connection that both you and the writer are seeking

Answer 3

Well, I'm a big fan of Washington Irvings short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," so I'll use Ichabod as an example of naming the traits of any character in it.

1. Educated - Ichabod is the school teacher of Sleepy Hollow and a native of Connecticut. Irving describes Connecticut as a state that provides pioneers for the mind and the forest, a state that sends fourth frontier woodsmen and country schoolmaster. Schoolmasters have to have some education in order to teach their charges. Irving also describes Ichabod as a man of letters, another point bringing up the fact that he's educated.

2. Superstitious - This isn't just something that appears in the end of the story after Ichabod's been filled with all kinds of ghost stories. He liked to read Cotton Mather's "History of New England Witchcraft" which he believes in. He'd spend afternoons reading it then have to whistle on his way to the home of the family he was staying with just to keep away the spooks. He believed every bush or tree might either become a ghost or hide some demon behind it. If a beetle should accidently hit him at night, he would run the other way like his life depended on it.

3. Scarecrow-like - Irving describes his protagonist as being someone who could be mistaken for a scarecrow. His feet or shovel-like, his hands dangle far from his sleeves, his long nose gives his head the look of a weathervane. In short, his whole appearance is rather comical.

4. Vain - Ichabod was more than a little vain when it came to his singing and dancing. On Sundays he'd be at the front of the congregation and his voice would rise above all others. He also made a little extra money by teaching others to sing. In fact Brom Bones brings in a local mutt and calls him Ichabod's singing rival to humiliate Ichabod. At the van Tassel's party it's said he prides himself on his dancing as much as his singing. He's even compared to Saint Vitus, the patron saint of the dance.

5. Shuns hardwork - That's not to say being a teacher isn't hardwork. But look at the jobs he'd do when not teaching. Helped to make hay, helped mend fences, watered the horses, drove cows from pasture, and cut firewood. All of which were supposed to be lighter chores on a farm according to the story. He'd never be caught plowing the field, planting, pulling up stumps, etc.

6. Big eater - Ichabod always seems hungry and he treats students with moms or sisters who are good cooks rather well. After all, if he treats them poorly, then he's unlikely to get invited to dinner at their house. And when he goes to the van Tassels he's seeing all the animals and crops as various dishes when he first is shown to visit their home. And at their party he has to sample every dish.

Answer 4

she wants you to understand the traits of a character in that particular story, maybe she wants you to know the different traits a character have for you to identify the good traits and the bad traits in the particular situations in the story.

These character traits are:

Responsibility
Being accountable in word and deed. Having a sense of duty to fulfill tasks with reliability, dependability and commitment.

Perseverance
Pursuing worthy objectives with determination and patience while exhibiting fortitude when confronted with failure.

Caring
Showing understanding of others by treating them with kindness, compassion, generosity and a forgiving spirit.

Self-discipline
Demonstrating hard work controlling your emotions, words, actions, impulses and desires. Giving your best in all situations.

Citizenship
Being law abiding and involved in service to school, community and country.

Honesty
Telling the truth, admitting wrongdoing. Being trustworthy and acting with integrity.

Courage
Doing the right thing in face of difficulty and following your conscience instead of the crowd.

Fairness
Practicing justice, equity and equality. Cooperating with one another. Recognizing the uniqueness and value of each individual within our diverse society.

Respect
Showing high regard for an authority, other people, self and country. Treating others as you would want to be treated. Understanding that all people have value as human beings.

Integrity
A firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. Being honest, trustworthy and incorruptible.

Patriotism
A love for and loyalty to one's country.

Are the traits you are looking for not here? See our traits correlation page to see how your selected traits fit in.

Answer 5

Traits of a character is their personality. Like {character} is brave, but compasionate, etc. Theme is like the lesson of the book. You know how in cartoons, the always have to have a too-obvious lesson stuffed in? that's how it is with a theme of a book.

Answer 6

traits are the characters clothing, personality, lifestyle, hobbies. theme is what is happening in the story and you need to use your own words not words from the book

Answer 7

im getting the feeling your using this as homework bait.. . ..
at least go look it up!!
and ill give you a freebie, theme=the point in the story, the meaning beyond the words.
i have a feeling you should at least ask your teacher this..

Answer 8

Here is a good website for helping you understand what a character's traits are:

http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/tip8.html

And, here is another site that discusses themes:

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/literature/read/theme1.html

Good luck with your assignment.