Question

analyze craft and structure characters motivation
a characters motivation is the reason he or she takes a particular action. in creating believable characters, the writer must keep in mind the causes of their behavior, how the other characters are affected, and how this dynamic drives the storys plot.
motivation may be internal, external, or a mix of both. internal motivation includes such emotions as revenge, guilt, ambition, love, isolation, and greed. external motivation is sparked by physical conditions, events, or situations. external motivations tend to be universal. internal motivations are what makes a character unique.
rarely does an author spell out a characters motivation. the reader makes an inference, or an educated guess, about the characters motivation based on what the character says and does and what the other characters say about him or her.
directions: read the passage and then answer the questions.
ruben and his wife joycelyn have a milestone wedding anniversary coming up, but they have never had enough money to celebrate like they wished to, nor have they been able to give each other anything more than small, inexpensive gifts. this year is different for ruben. he wants to do something special, so he sells his beloved comic book collection to pay for violin lessons for joycelyn who has a violin and has always wanted to learn how to play. what ruben doesnt know is that joycelyn has sold her violin to buy ruben special storage cases for his prized comic books.

1. what is rubens motivation for selling his comic book collection?
2. is rubens motivation internal or external or a mix of both? explain your answer.
3. what inference can you make about joycelyns motivation for selling her violin?
4. is joycelyns motivation internal or external or a mix of both? explain your answer.

Explanation:

1. Ruben wants to do something special for their milestone wedding anniversary and knows Joycelyn has always wanted violin lessons, so he sells his comic - book collection to pay for them.
2. Ruben's motivation is internal. It is driven by his love for Joycelyn and his desire to make their anniversary special, which are emotions.
3. Joycelyn sells her violin to buy special storage cases for Ruben's prized comic books, showing her love and thoughtfulness for him.
4. Joycelyn's motivation is internal. Her actions are based on her love for Ruben and her wish to do something nice for him, which are internal emotions.

Answer:

1. To pay for Joycelyn's violin lessons for their milestone wedding anniversary.
2. Internal. Driven by love and desire to make anniversary special.
3. To buy special storage cases for Ruben's comic books.
4. Internal. Driven by love for Ruben.