Motivation — English definition
Defined in 2 courses:
- The reason a character wants something or acts the way they do — the 'why' behind their choices. (English 6)
- The reason behind a character's actions or decisions. (English 8: Trust, Community & Responsibility)
Where it is taught
- Character Development — Reading Literature, English 6, Grade 6
- Character & Dialogue — Close Reading & Literary Analysis, English 8: Trust, Community & Responsibility, Grade 8
In use
To really understand a character, you also have to understand their motivation — the why underneath what they do.
Character Development
Dialogue is also where you find motivation, the reason behind what a character does.
Character & Dialogue
Questions using motivation
Problem 1
Explain, using the words 'dynamic,' 'motivation,' and 'evidence,' how a reader could prove a character truly changed by the end of a story.
Answer and explanation
A reader could call the character dynamic by pointing to evidence from early in the story that reveals their original motivation (an action, quote, or attitude) and comparing it to different evidence near the end showing a new motivation or behavior. The change has to be a lasting shift inside the character, supported by evidence, not just a temporary mood.
Taught alongside
- characterization
- direct characterization
- indirect characterization
- dynamic character
- static character
- dialogue