ACT Reading Literary Narrative Character Analysis Motivation Emotion Relationships

What This Is and Why It Matters for the ACT

Literary Narrative — Character Analysis: Motivation, Emotion, Relationships appears in the English section of the ACT. This topic is crucial for understanding character development and relationships in literary passages. It appears on every English test and is a moderate to difficult topic.

Key Concepts (What You Must Know)

• Character motivation: The reasons behind a character's actions or decisions.
• Emotion: The feelings and emotions expressed by a character in a passage.
• Relationships: The interactions and connections between characters in a passage.
• Literary devices: Techniques used by authors to convey character traits, such as metaphor, simile, and personification.
• Tone: The author's attitude towards the characters or events in a passage.

Step‑by‑Step Strategy for This Topic

1. Read the passage carefully: Identify the main characters, their relationships, and the setting.
2. Identify the character's motivation: Look for clues in the passage that reveal the character's reasons for their actions or decisions.
3. Analyze the character's emotion: Pay attention to the language and tone used to describe the character's feelings.
4. Examine the relationships: Look for interactions between characters that reveal their relationships and dynamics.
5. Eliminate wrong answers: Use the process of elimination to eliminate answer choices that don't match the passage.
6. Check your work: Verify that your answer choice matches the passage and the question being asked.

How It’s Tested on the ACT

English questions on this topic will typically include a passage with an underlined portion. You'll be asked to identify the correct answer choice based on the passage. Be careful of distractors that try to mislead you with irrelevant information.

Common Mistakes & Exam Traps

• Mistake: Overlooking the author's tone and perspective.
• Why it happens: Rushing through the passage or not paying attention to the author's voice.
• How to avoid it: Take your time and read the passage carefully, paying attention to the author's tone and perspective.
• Exam board insight: The ACT examiners want to see that you can identify the author's tone and perspective in a passage.
• Mistake: Failing to identify the character's motivation.
• Why it happens: Not paying attention to the character's actions or decisions in the passage.
• How to avoid it: Read the passage carefully and look for clues that reveal the character's motivation.
• Mistake: Misinterpreting the character's emotion.
• Why it happens: Not paying attention to the language and tone used to describe the character's feelings.
• How to avoid it: Pay attention to the language and tone used to describe the character's emotions.
• Mistake: Failing to examine the relationships between characters.
• Why it happens: Not paying attention to the interactions between characters.
• How to avoid it: Read the passage carefully and look for interactions between characters that reveal their relationships and dynamics.
• Mistake: Not using the process of elimination.
• Why it happens: Not carefully reading the answer choices.
• How to avoid it: Use the process of elimination to eliminate answer choices that don't match the passage.

Practice Questions (3-5 questions)

Question 1: In the passage, the author describes the character's motivation as "a desire for freedom". Which of the following best supports this interpretation?

A) The character's decision to leave their hometown.
B) The character's love of adventure.
C) The character's fear of authority.
D) The character's desire for wealth.
E) The character's need for security.

Answer: A) The character's decision to leave their hometown.

Explanation: The character's decision to leave their hometown suggests a desire for freedom, which is supported by the passage.

Question 2: In the passage, the author describes the character's emotion as "a mix of sadness and regret". Which of the following best supports this interpretation?

A) The character's tears.
B) The character's anger.
C) The character's happiness.
D) The character's fear.
E) The character's indifference.

Answer: A) The character's tears.

Explanation: The character's tears suggest a mix of sadness and regret, which is supported by the passage.

Question 3: In the passage, the author describes the relationship between the two characters as "a complex and nuanced one". Which of the following best supports this interpretation?

A) The characters' mutual respect.
B) The characters' deep-seated hatred.
C) The characters' love-hate relationship.
D) The characters' indifference towards each other.
E) The characters' complete understanding of each other.

Answer: C) The characters' love-hate relationship.

Explanation: The characters' love-hate relationship suggests a complex and nuanced one, which is supported by the passage.

Quick Reference Card (60‑Second Summary)

• Character motivation: Identify the character's reasons for their actions or decisions.
• Emotion: Pay attention to the language and tone used to describe the character's feelings.
• Relationships: Examine the interactions between characters that reveal their relationships and dynamics.
• Tone: Pay attention to the author's attitude towards the characters or events in a passage.
• Literary devices: Be aware of techniques used by authors to convey character traits.
• Process of elimination: Use the process of elimination to eliminate answer choices that don't match the passage.

If You Get Stuck on Test Day

• What to do when you don't know the answer: Eliminate answer choices that don't match the passage and make an educated guess.
• Pacing strategy: Take your time and read the passage carefully before answering the question.
• When to skip and come back: If you're stuck, skip the question and come back to it later.

Related ACT Topics

• Literary Analysis: Analyzing the author's use of literary devices and techniques to convey meaning.
• Character Development: Understanding how characters change and grow throughout a passage.
• Author's Purpose: Identifying the author's purpose and message in a passage.