Which strategy best reveals a character's motivation in a narrative?

• A. Examine actions, dialogue, relationships, growth arcs, and conflicts revealing desires, beliefs, and changes.
• B. Analyze the narrator's voice and its reliability as the primary tool.
• C. Compare the physical setting to objects in a scene.
• D. Focus only on the plot's events without considering characters.

Answer: (A)

Understanding what motivates a character means tracing how their desires and beliefs shape their behavior. The best strategy is to examine a character’s actions, what they say, how they relate to others, how they grow or change over the story, and the conflicts they face. These elements together reveal underlying motives—what they want, why it matters to them, and how their views evolve as events unfold.

Looking at the narrator’s voice and its reliability focuses on perspective and trust in the storytelling rather than the character’s internal drive. Comparing the physical setting to objects speaks more to mood or symbolism than to why a character acts. Focusing only on plot events without considering characters misses the reasons behind decisions and changes, which are central to motivation.

So, by connecting actions, dialogue, relationships, growth, and conflicts, you uncover a character’s true motivation.