This document discusses key elements of character development in ASL storytelling. It emphasizes using role shifting and varying signing styles to reflect different characters' personalities and emotions. Examples are provided of showing characters' reactions, comments, and thoughts through techniques like eye gaze, facial expressions, size and tempo of signs. Developing characters in this way brings stories to life for deaf audiences.

1. EXAMPLE ONE
• In this excerpt from "The Frog
Prince," Ken describes the
princess' delight when the frog
left after the first night, only to
be upset again the next night.
The sign below suggests that
the frog's return on the second
night is unexpected.

2. EXAMPLE TWO
• This part of "The Magic Mirror of
Rabbi Adam" shows the merchant
closing up shop and leaving town
for his home. The transition sign on
the following page indicates the
completion of one set of actions
(closing up the store) and leads us
to the next set of actions (going
home).

3. KEY ELEMENTS: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
• Character development is essential to bring the story to
life. A good ASL storyteller develops characters not by
using descriptive adjectives to reveal their personalities or
their actions, but by role shifting to reflect the character's
personality and mood by showing their reactions or
feelings as s/he interacts with other characters throughout
the story.

4. KEY ELEMENTS: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
• To further expand on a character's personality you can vary your
signing style to reflect the character's feelings.
• Change the size of the sign (e.g., bigger signs to show an excited character or
smaller signs to show a shy, timid character)
• Change the tempo of the sign (e.g., sign deliberately as a wise man would
sign, sign fast as a panicked person would sign, or sign slurred to show a
character who is groggy or under a spell).
• Exaggerate the sign to reflect strong emotions (e.g., a sign that is normally
made on one hand is made with both hands).

5. KEY ELEMENTS: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
• The following excerpts are five examples of how a
character's reactions/ comments are shown.

6. EXAMPLE ONE
• In this excerpt from "The Frog Prince,"
Ken shows the frog requesting that the
princess bring him to her bedroom after
he finished eating. Note the tired but
content face Ken makes for the frog by
making the "mm" mouth (content) and
squinted eyes (tired). Ken continues the
characterization by using a signing style
that is soft and endearing.

7. EXAMPLE TWO
• This segment from "The Bridge of Magpies"
shows the king telling the two lovers about
his decision to let them meet only one day
every year. Missy shows the king's reaction
of disappointment before assuming a stern
disposition as he explains his decision.
Notice that the king's eye gaze maintains the
appropriate spatial relationship to the
couple. Then, Missy briefly shows the lovers'
sad response.

8. EXAMPLE THREE
• Ben shows two different personalities in this part
from "The Magic Mirror of Rabbi Adam" -the
serious nature of Rabbi Adam and the drunken,
careless style of the magician's friends. He does this
with his face and by varying his signing styles. The
rabbi stands up straight, signs firmly and clearly,
and his face is stoic showing a bit of disgust (mouth
mostly a small pout and eyebrows a bit furrowed).
The friends are drunk and sway their heads, a
pursed mouth reflecting carelessness and
indifference. Their signing is sloppy, not crisp.

9. EXAMPLE FOUR
• In "The Merchant's Daughter and the
Slanderer," Terrylene shows the reactions and
comments of three men (the general, the king,
and the merchant's son). Using effective role
shifting techniques and appropriate eye gaze,
she shows the arrogance of the general giving
the king the gold ring and explaining the secret
mark of the merchant's daughter, the king's
confusion, concern and then anger with the
merchant's son; and the merchant's son's
dismay.

10. EXAMPLE FIVE
• In "The Merchant's Daughter and
the Slanderer," Terrylene shows the
king's surprise when he hears the
merchant's daughter reveal who she
is. The king turns to the general (on
his left) and accuses him of lying.
Note that the sign for "lying" is
exaggerated to show the king's
anger.

11. KEY ELEMENTS: THOUGHTS
• Another way to develop character is to show the character's thoughts. In
doing this we show the character's desires and subsequent motives for
his/her actions. There are two ways to reflect the characters' thoughts.
• While role shifting, break eye contact, shifting the gaze up and away to give
the impression that the character is not relating directly to the other character
in the scene.
• A more subtle way does not divert the eye gaze away from the other
character-instead the signer reduces the character's head movement to
almost nothing and signs low and small, giving the impression that the
character is not relating to the other character in the scene.

12. KEY ELEMENTS: THOUGHTS
• The following excerpts are four examples of how a
character's thoughts are shown. Pay particular attention to
the character's eye gaze in all examples.

13. EXAMPLE ONE
• In this segment from "The Frog Prince,"
Ken tells us about the princess'
"thoughts" as she looks away from the
well. While the eye gaze moves up, Ken
uses a sign to signal the beginning of the
princess' thoughts. When the princess
finishes her thought about a promise,
Ken reverses the sign movement to
reflect the end of the thought and has
her resume looking down at the well.

14. EXAMPLE TWO
• In this excerpt from "The Bridge of
Magpies," Missy shows the king's thoughts
after receiving the prince's request to marry
his daughter. The king's eye gaze is on the
prince kneeling in front of him, then he
breaks eye contact to ponder the riches the
prince has and how close he lives to the
king. Note that the signing is lower and
more subtle than when the king spoke
directly to the prince.

15. EXAMPLE THREE
• In this excerpt from "The Merchant's
Daughter and the Slanderer," Terrylene
shows the beggar woman's restrained
excitement on discovering the secret mark.
Terrylene shows the beggar woman
continually looking at the daughter,
signing low to herself, "Oh boy, that's it!"
She looks toward the audience, saying
"That's her secret mark!" and then returns
her eye gaze to the daughter.

16. EXAMPLE FOUR
• The thoughts of the magician from "The Magic
Mirror of Rabbi Adam" are revealed at the
moment he learns that Rabbi Adam had
miraculously saved the merchant's life, defying
the magician's powers. Ben shows the magician
first looking with disbelief at the merchant on
his right and then breaking eye gaze off to his
left, thinking that now there is someone else
who has comparable magical powers, which he
resents. The magician returns his gaze on the
merchant to offer the challenge.