Character Analysis
Today’s Goals:
Review character analysis
2. Begin our next summative assessment
—a character analysis essay.
1.
Yay, essay s!
Review: Character Analysis
Steps to character analysis:
1. Choose a character.
2. Make a fact-based opinion statement about your character.
3. Support with textual evidence.
Review: Little Red Riding Hood
Steps to character analysis:
1. Choose a character.
2.
Little Red Riding Hood
Make a statement about your character.
Little Red Riding Hood is a victim of parental neglect. What makes a good statement?
Good statement = a factbased opinion Thesis Statement
A thesis statement
is a complete sentence (subject + verb).
informs your reader what your literary analysis is going to be about.
is the last sentence of the introduction paragraph. is an analysis or opinion that you (the writer) are going to support or prove.
How does your character develop from the beginning to the end of the story?
How does your character interact with other characters?
How does your character advance the plot or develop theme?
Do these statements work?
Little Red Riding Hood wears red a lot.
Grandmother is shaken by her interaction with the wolf.
Nope: the text states that she was “frazzled” after being cut out of the wolf (duh!).
The wolf is a cross-dresser.
Nope: the text states that “Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak.”
Problem: don’t use generic terms like “a lot”
Nope: it doesn’t work because this is a fact: he dresses in grandmother’s clothes.
The wolf does not identify himself as a male.
Potential—he is drawn towards females in the story; he wears women’s clothes and perfume
Problem: you probably can’t write an entire essay*
*Remember: our ultimate goal is to write a character analysis essay
Discuss: “Just Lather, That’s All”
Who is the good guy? How do you know? 2. Who is the bad guy? How do you know?
1.
Your thesis statement should NOT state who the good or bad guy is
Review character analysis
2. Begin our next summative assessment
—a character analysis essay.
1.
Yay, essay s!
Review: Character Analysis
Steps to character analysis:
1. Choose a character.
2. Make a fact-based opinion statement about your character.
3. Support with textual evidence.
Review: Little Red Riding Hood
Steps to character analysis:
1. Choose a character.
2.
Little Red Riding Hood
Make a statement about your character.
Little Red Riding Hood is a victim of parental neglect. What makes a good statement?
Good statement = a factbased opinion Thesis Statement
A thesis statement
is a complete sentence (subject + verb).
informs your reader what your literary analysis is going to be about.
is the last sentence of the introduction paragraph. is an analysis or opinion that you (the writer) are going to support or prove.
How does your character develop from the beginning to the end of the story?
How does your character interact with other characters?
How does your character advance the plot or develop theme?
Do these statements work?
Little Red Riding Hood wears red a lot.
Grandmother is shaken by her interaction with the wolf.
Nope: the text states that she was “frazzled” after being cut out of the wolf (duh!).
The wolf is a cross-dresser.
Nope: the text states that “Whenever she went out, the little girl wore a red riding cloak.”
Problem: don’t use generic terms like “a lot”
Nope: it doesn’t work because this is a fact: he dresses in grandmother’s clothes.
The wolf does not identify himself as a male.
Potential—he is drawn towards females in the story; he wears women’s clothes and perfume
Problem: you probably can’t write an entire essay*
*Remember: our ultimate goal is to write a character analysis essay
Discuss: “Just Lather, That’s All”
Who is the good guy? How do you know? 2. Who is the bad guy? How do you know?
1.
Your thesis statement should NOT state who the good or bad guy is