answered: Please see attached file for assignment instructions. Use t

  

Please see attached file for assignment instructions. Use the character analysis planning chart to begin
analyzing the character. Please make it easy to understand. Do not use hard vocabulary words. Please refer to
rubric.
Choose one of the stories we’ve read so far, then
select a major character from that story. Only a round, fully
developed character is appropriate for this
assignment. Avoid characters about whom we learn little. For example,
you would NOT want to do a character
analysis on any of the following characters: Mrs. Mallard or any other
character from “The Story of an Hour”;
the characters from “Popular Mechanics.” Instead, choose well-developed,
rich characters to explore. Some
possibilities include Connie or Arnold Friend, Harold Krebs, Jimmy Cross, the
Grandmother, Jig, Montresor or
Fortunato, Goodman Brown, Emily, Sylvia or Miss Moore. The unnamed narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper”
is also a possibility, but that character would be a real challenge to analyze (because she is telling the story
through her delusions).
Consider one or more apparent personality traits of the character you choose. Try to relate those traits to the behaviors we see in the story (character motivation). For example, what motivates Sylvia to be “surly” about the
trip to
FAO Schwarz? What does she mean at the end of the story when she says that no one will beat her at
anything?
Why does Connie lie to her parents about going to a movie with friends, and why does she initially
enjoy (rather
than fear) the attentions of Arnold Friend?
Of the character you choose to analyze, ask yourself what kind of
person s/he is. Is s/he weak? strong?
determined? optimistic? arrogant? afraid? timid? shy? and so forth. You will
need to find specific evidence
from the story to support your argument, and incorporate that evidence into your
essay. Refer to your class
notes on techniques for doing so.
Also, you’ll probably want to review the literary terms that specifically refer to
character (especially dynamic, static, protagonist, antagonist, and epiphany).
For your thesis statement, you should refer to the major characteristics you will discuss, and relate them to
either the outcome of the story or to one or more of its themes. For example, if you were writing about Connie
from “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?,” you might have a tentative thesis statement like this:
While Connie’s conceit, secrecy, and rebelliousness contribute to her own tragic end, her
behavior seems
to emphasize the lack of solid family values in modern society.
Notice that this thesis lists the three negative character traits that the writer will explore by offering many
specific examples from the story and showing how those traits all lead in some way to Connie’s kidnapping
(and presumed
rape and death) at the end of the story. It also suggests a major theme promoted by Joyce Carol
Oates, which
would also be explored in the essay.
An alternative approach to this assignment: You might also approach this paper in terms of the ways an
author reveals a character to us. We learn about a character through appearance, actions and reactions, speech,
gestures, mannerisms, and even name. You could organize your paper according to several of these items rather
than characteristics, if you choose. In any case, each body paragraph needs to begin with a strong, clear topic sentence to guide the reader. Here is another model thesis statement for a character analysis: Through her intelligence, loyalty, and leadership qualities, Miss Moore is portrayed as a role model for
the poor children who desperately
need her “lesson.”