You already read people this way. When a friend goes quiet after a message, you work out what they want and what is stopping them. Characters work the same way.
Today you will name what two main characters from your anchor text (the novel or long text your class is reading for this unit) want, why it matters to them, what stands in their way, and one line of evidence for each. That Character Motivation Map goes into your Communication Portfolio.
For any character, ask: what do they want, why does it matter to them, what stands in their way, and which line proves it?
| Term | What it means for you | Real example |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation | Name the drive behind their choices (want plus why), not just what they do | She wants the job on the form because she needs a way forward |
| Want | Keep it concrete: a job, an apology, a way out | to hand in the application before she loses her nerve |
| Obstacle | Look for fear, other people, money, rules, or the character themselves | her own fear of approaching the manager |
| Textual evidence | Quote the line; do not retell the scene | "she ordered a tea she did not want": she stalls instead of handing the form over |
Worked example (short scene written for this lesson). Leah stood at the counter with the application form folded twice in her pocket. The manager was free. She ordered a tea she did not want and sat back down.
Want: to hand in the application. Why it matters: she needs a way forward. Obstacle: her own nerves. Evidence: ordered a tea she did not want and sat back down. So: she invents a reason to stay instead of walking over.
Use this short scene to get the questions sharp. Read it once, then name Marcus's want and one evidence line. It is practice only: the piece for your Portfolio is the map on the next step.
Now turn the same questions on your anchor text. Paste short passages about two main characters (or type 3 to 5 lines by hand from the page; a phone photo of the page is fine source material). The text-marker is a mark-up aid only: aim for about three marks per character (a want, an obstacle or "they are the obstacle", and one evidence line). "They are the obstacle" is just a type of obstacle: use it instead of Obstacle when the block is inside them.
If you do not have your book today, share a classmate's copy for the lines you need.
The Character Motivation Map template below is the piece that goes in your Communication Portfolio (not the marker marks). Fill want, why it matters to them, obstacle, evidence, and what the evidence shows for each character, then save it as m1_l15_character_motivation_map_<your-initials>.
Talk this through with the person beside you, or sit with it on your own:
Which of your two characters has the clearer want on the page, and which one hides it more? What would change in the story if that hidden want were said out loud?
If one of those answers sticks, jot a few lines in your Reflective Journal after class: optional, not for the Portfolio.
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