Today students did a partner check for homework, and then we delved into a topic I love...character analysis. This prepares the students for the Literary Essay and also immerses them in close reading. We began by using character details from "Raymond's Run," and then used a list of thought prompts to help guide us through the analysis. Our goal was to answer why the author included these details. Students found that when they started answering the first prompt, by the end of the prompts they arrived at a completely different reason as to why the author chose the details about the character.
Here is a sample from page 1 of "Raymond's Run,"using the prompts on your paper:
I notice that when people say mean things about Raymond, Squeaky reacts by saying, "I much rather just knock you down..." Maybe the author included this to show that Squeaky is really angry about how people treat her brother. On the other hand, perhaps the author is showing us that Squeaky really loves Raymond-she loves him so much she is willing to fight for him. Or could it be that she is trying to show that Squeaky thinks it works better to find than talk about things. So, what I am really trying to say is, Squeaky may lack the confidence to talk seriously with people.
See how my beginning thought is so different from the end? This is your goal.
H/W:
- Write two Character Analysis essays. Use the Thought Prompts paper. Make sure you end up with a different thought than where you began.
- Use one character detail from your class novel. Find a good detail about a character, and do a paragraph analysis. Do the same with a book you are currently reading. You should have a total of two paragraphs.
