Question

analyze craft and structure character motivation
characters, like people, do things for a reason. that reason is called a characters motivation.
sometimes characters motivations come from personal emotions or desires, such as wanting to do the right thing. these are internal motivations.
other times, motivation comes from the circumstances in which a character finds himself, such as moving to a new place. these are external motivations.
most of the time, characters are motivated by both internal and external causes. for example, a kid at a new school might want to get to know people. he decides to wear a silly hat to get attention and make some new friends. his action is both internally and externally motivated.
authors usually dont directly state characters motivations. instead, they give clues through the characters dialogue, actions, and thoughts. the setting and conflict also provide clues to the characters motivations.
directions: read the passage. then, answer the questions that follow.
it was the first night josh had ever been allowed to stay home alone. he had big plans—to watch his favorite tv show, play some video games, and eat the pizza his parents had ordered before they left. but night fell, and something started making a weird noise. creak, creak, creak. scratch, scratch. tsssss.
no matter how loud he turned up the volume, he thought he could hear a monster outside his front door. the scratching got louder. nervously, josh grabbed a flashlight and crept toward the door. as he swung the door wide open, he yelled, \im not afraid of you!\ and beamed the light onto the front porch. his cat jumped a foot into the air and ran for the bushes. feeling pretty ridiculous, josh changed his tune, saying, \here, kitten! sorry. i scared you.\

1. which elements of the story add to the external motivation?
2. how would you describe joshs internal motivation?
3. list two clues that help you figure out what motivates josh to open and scream at the mystery animal.

Explanation:

1. External Motivation Elements:

• The first night alone (a new situation/circumstance).
• The weird noises (external stimuli).

1. Josh's Internal Motivation:

• He wanted to feel brave (a personal emotion/desire).

1. Clues:

• Nervously grabbed a flashlight (action clue).
• Yelled “I'm not afraid of you!” (dialogue clue).

Answer:

1. The first night alone and the weird noises.
2. He wanted to feel brave.
3. Nervously grabbed a flashlight; Yelled “I'm not afraid of you!”.