9 English Stiles



277177514287500Year 9 Writing TaskCharacter AnalysisYou have been studying the representations of teens in texts. You are now developing an essay responding to the characters in the text studied. Write an analysis of ONE of the characters from VGHS:BrianDJenny MatrixTedThe LawKiYour analysis should be 500-1000 words. It should explain to the reader the character’s key traits, motivations and actions, using examples from the series to support your argument.Plan and collect evidence through watching the series, then start to structure and draft your essay. Use the attached documents to help develop your ideas. How to Write a Character Analysis (Part 1)Learning how to write a character analysis requires a thorough reading of the literary work with attention to what the author reveals about the character through dialog, narrative and plot. A literary analyst writes about the role each character plays in the work. The protagonist is the most important character, while the character who plays the villain in the conflict with the main character is called the antagonist. Great writers create characters with many facets to their lives, which should be included in a character analysis. See Step 1 below to start writing your own character analysis. 1Read the target short literary work paying careful attention to the words, actions, relationships and struggles of all the major characters as well as important minor characters. 2Take notes on all important elements that add to the depth of the main character as you read the work for a 2nd time. 3Prepare a paragraph about the main character and the role that he or she plays in the literary work. ?Describe the physical appearance of the character and explain what the appearance reveals about the person. Make sure to quote or paraphrase directly from the work. Important: you should provide your analysis both before and after the quote or paraphrase. ?Discuss the language that the character uses throughout the work. Does the character use the same language throughout or does his or her choice of language change from the introduction to the conclusion? ?If provided, include details about the background of the character (some of these details may have to be inferred). Where/when was the character born and raised? What kind of education does the character have? How does the character's past experience influence what he or she does or says? ?Write about the personality of the character. Does the character act on emotions or reason? What values does the character exhibit through words or actions? Does the character have goals or ambitions? Be specific and make sure to quote or paraphrase from the work. 4Describe and analyze the relationships that the character has with others in the story. Does the character lead or follow others in the story? Does the character have close friends and family? Use examples from the text along with your analysis. 5Explain the struggle or conflict that the character faces in the literary work. 6Describe the important actions of the character. What do these actions tell the reader about the character and how the character faces the conflict. ?Describe how the character changes or grows throughout the plot of the story. Is the character better or worse at the conclusion? Memorable characters usually change or grow in a literary work of merit. 7Collect supporting material or evidence for the analysis. If the author describes the character as sloppy, you should provide specific details to show this character trait, quoting or paraphrasing directly from the work.How to Write a Character Analysis (Part 2)As you were reading your assigned work, you had probably been engaging in an informal character analysis without even knowing it, whether from your own opinions, text you selected to highlight, or notes that you wrote. With a little guidance on what to do with those various notations, writing a character analysis should not be a problem! 1) Pay attention to the character’s ethics. Does the character make just or unjust choices? Consider Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus does not make morally correct choices only when it is convenient for him to do so. Rather, he shows he’s a truly just character by sticking to his principles even when his life is at stake.2) Decide whether the character’s actions are wise or unwise. For example, one may think of Friar Laurence in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as being a character who continually makes poor decisions that reflect his inner corruption.3) What is the character’s motivation? As you are mulling over the pros and cons of each character’s internal thoughts and external actions, you will want to also consider why the character is acting or thinking in a particular way. Has the author given you any clues about the character’s past? In Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club, Lindo Jong’s domination of her daughter Waverly can be understood, if not entirely excused, by her terrible experiences in China.4) Consider the effects of the character’s behavior on other characters. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is rife with the effects of one character’s actions on others. When Lydia decides to run off with the charlatan Wickham, she puts the whole family’s reputation, as well has her own, at risk, and even involves those outside her family, like Darcy.5) Look for repeatedly used words that describe the character. Those words often give insight into a character’s psychology and motivations. In John Steinbeck’s novel East of Eden, Kathy is frequently referred to as having “sharp little teeth” and a “flickering tongue,” which are symbols of her snake-like monstrousness.6) Be aware of items associated with the character. They may say something about his or her state of mind. A classic example is the delicate unicorn figurine in Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie. The figurine is symbolic of Laura’s own sense of hope and her own fragility.7) Read between the lines. Often what a character does not say is as important as what he or she does say. Think of Abner Snopes in William Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning.” When the court finds Snopes guilty of ruining his boss’ rug, prior knowledge of Abner’s character tells us that his silence upon hearing the verdict actually speaks volumes. We know he will react later...and violently.8) Is the character “flat” or “round”? A character is considered flat (or static) when he or she does not experience change of any kind, does not grow from beginning to end. Shakespeare often uses comic villains as flat characters, like Don Jon in Much Ado About Nothing. Round characters are those who do experience some sort of growth, like Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. By the end of the play, she has gone from being meek and submissive to being strong and liberated.9) Consider the historical time period of the character. Refrain from making modern judgments about the past; put the character’s actions and thoughts in context. A female character living in England in the 1800s obviously could not make the choices that she could today, for both political and social reasons.10) Finally, what does the author think? Look for any of the author’s own judgments about the characters he or she has created. The author may be directing you toward an intended interpretation. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne certainly meant for his readers to see Hester as good and Chillingsworth as evil.How to Write a Character Analysis (Part 3)1). Personality of the CharacterWhen you write a character analysis, you will be expected to describe a character's personality.We get to know characters in our stories through the things they say, feel, and do. It's not as difficult as it may seem to figure out a character's personality traits based on his/her thoughts and behaviors:"Say cheese!" the exasperated photographer shouted, as she pointed her camera toward the group of squirming children. Margot displayed her broadest, most convincing fake smile as she inched ever-closer to her younger cousin. Just as the photographer's finger twitched over the shutter button, Margot leaned into her young cousin's side and pinched hard. The boy let out a yelp, just as the camera clicked."You can probably make some assumptions about Margot from the brief segment above. If you had to name three character traits to describe her, what would they be? Is she a nice, innocent girl? Hardly! From the brief paragraph we know she's apparently sneaky, mean, and deceptive.You will receive clues about a character's personality through his or her:?Words?Actions?Reactions?Feelings?Movements?Thoughts?Mannerisms2.) Character RoleWhen you write a character analysis, you must also define each character's role.In addition to having personality traits, characters also fill certain roles in a story. They either play a major role, as a central element to the story, or they play a minor role to serve a supporting role in the story.Protagonist: The protagonist of a story is often called the main character. The plot revolves around the protagonist. There may be more than one main character.?In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn is the protagonist.?In Little Red Riding Hood, the little girl is the protagonist.Antagonist: The antagonist is the character who represents a challenge or an obstacle to the protagonist in a story. In some stories, the antagonist is not a person!?In Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf is the antagonist.?In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, society is the antagonist. Society, with its unfair laws and rules, represents the obstacle to Huck's development as a person.Foil: A foil is a character who provides contrast to the main character (protagonist), in order to emphasize the main character's traits. In A Christmas Carol, the kind nephew Fred is the foil to nasty Ebenezer Scrooge.3.) Character Development (Growth and Change)When you are asked to write a character analysis, you will be expected to explain how a character changes and grows. Most characters go through changes as a story unfolds-otherwise, stories would be pretty boring! Other Useful Terms for Character AnalysisFlat Character: A flat character has one or two personality traits that don't change. The flat character can play a major or a minor role.Round Character: A round character has many complex traits-and those traits develop and change in a story. A round character will seem more real than a flat character, because people are complex!Stock or Stereotype Character: A character who represents a stereotype is a stock character. These characters exist to maintain widespread belief in "types," such as hot-tempered redheads, stingy businessmen and absent-minded professors.Static: A static character never changes. A loud, obnoxious "background" character who remains the same throughout the story is static. A boring character who is never changed by events is also static.Dynamic: Unlike a static character, a dynamic character does change and grow as the story unfolds. Dynamic characters respond to events and experience a change in attitude or outlook. ................
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