How Character Actions Drive Stories

Khan Academy

This educational video explores the critical role that character actions play in storytelling. Through humorous narration and simple animations, it explains how stories are driven by the decisions and behaviors of their characters rather than just the events that happen to them. The narrator uses contrasting examples—a kingdom where no one does anything versus one bustling with activity—to demonstrate how character agency moves a plot forward. The video delves into deeper literary analysis concepts, such as how actions reveal character traits, motivations, and values. It uses accessible analogies, like how a character reacts to a storm, to show that external events matter less than the internal choices characters make in response. It also covers complex ideas like deceptive appearances (using the Big Bad Wolf) and character development arcs (using Maui from Disney's Moana) to illustrate how actions can show change over time. For teachers, this video is an excellent tool for introducing character analysis and narrative writing. It moves beyond simple character descriptions (what they look like) to inferential thinking (what their actions say about them). It provides a framework for students to discuss character motivation, conflict response, and dynamic character arcs, making it applicable for both reading comprehension and creative writing lessons.