Warm-Up for Analyzing a Character

Who is your favorite character from a story or novel? Someone with amazing abilities who does astounding things? Someone with major flaws who overcomes them in surprising ways? Is the person likable? Intelligent? Funny? Are other qualities more important? You could answer these questions in many ways because great characters, like real people, are multilayered and complex.

In this unit, you will peel back the layers of a character from a story or novel. In addition to the person's actions, you'll analyze the character's mind, body, and spirit to discover what makes the person tick. In the process, you may even get closer to understanding what really makes a great literary character.

What Is a Character Analysis?

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A character analysis is a response to literature that looks closely at one or more characters from a story or novel. A successful analysis considers different aspects of a character, provides textual evidence about the person, and explains what these details mean in the larger context of the work.

In this unit, you will pick a key character from a work of fiction that you know well. The lessons that follow will help you closely analyze the character, express an overarching idea about the person, and find evidence to support your position.

Thinking About Character Traits

One of the challenges of writing a character analysis is drawing conclusions about someone you have met only through words on a page. You have to rely on text evidence, things the character does and says in the story. Of course, we all make similar judgments about people we've met only in other media, for example favorite icons from music, sports, politics, or movies.

You can warm up your character-analysis muscles by answering interview questions from the perspective of a famous person. Create answers as best you can based on what you know about the person. Here's an example to get you started:

Writing an Essay for Assessment

Some tests ask you to write an essay response to short stories and poems you have closely read. The following activity will help you practice.

Read the writing prompt.

Answer the PAST questions.

Purpose?

Audience?

Subject?

Type?

Responding to a Poem for Assessment

When you closely read a poem on an assessment, pay attention to the sounds of poetry, such as rhythm, alliteration, and repetition. Also note the meaning of poetry, focusing on features like imagery, metaphor, and symbolism.

Source 2

Warm-Up for Literature Assessment

Some major assessments test your ability to read and respond to literature.

How Can I Practice for Assessment?

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The best way to practice for a reading and writing assessment is to take a practice test, like the one in this unit. You will closely read a story and a poem and write about them. You'll also write a story of your own.

You’ll find a playful story about a girl who tries to get away from her shadow. You’ll also read a poem about a man speaking to his reflection. Read them closely. You’ll be drawing evidence from them to build a response. You’ll also get to experiment with telling a story of your own.

If you would like more help with closely reading literature and responding in writing, see the unit “Reading and Writing Literature for Assessment.”

Responding to a Story for Assessment

When you closely read a story, pay attention to character, setting, conflict, and theme.

Source 1

Writing On-Demand Essays

A writing assessment gives you a short time to write a paragraph or an essay. To do so, you should use a shortened form of the writing process.

Prewriting (5 Minutes)

Start by reading the writing prompt and analyzing it using the PAST questions.

Sample Writing Prompt

Answer the PAST questions.

Purpose? Explain Jamal’s choice

Audience? Tester

Subject? “Finding Your Instrument”

Type? Essay

Write a focus statement.

Jamal realizes he’s better off choosing his own way.

List supporting details.

--Denny is pressuring everyone to play saxophone.

--Denny makes fun of Jamal.

--Jamal tries trombone.

If you use the writer’s exact words, put the words in quotation marks. If the quotation is followed by a comma or period, put it inside the end quotation mark.

Analyzing the Meaning of Poetry

Poetry uses different techniques to create different meanings. When you read a poem, watch for these kinds of techniques.

Analyzing the Sound of Poetry

As you know, a poem is not the same as a short story or a novel. One big difference is that poetry plays with the sounds of words. Different techniques create different sounds. When you read a poem, listen for these kinds of sounds.

Analyzing Plot

The plot of a story takes a standard shape. The beginning (exposition) introduces character, setting, and conflict. The middle (rising action) raises the level of conflict to a high point (climax). The ending tells what happens afterward (falling action and resolution).