Character Analysis Project
Students will choose a character from the novel A Christmas Character and complete a full character analysis and report their work through a foldable. (Examples of acceptable foldables are below).
How to Analyze a Character(s)
Setting:
Where does the story take place?
Description:
Appearance: what does the character look like?
Personality: How would you describe the character’s personality?
Protagonist or Antagonist?
Insights:
Thoughts: What are the character’s most important thoughts?
Feelings: What are the characters’ most important feelings?
Development:
Problem/Conflict: What is the character’s problem at the beginning of the story?
Goal: What does the character want to happen by the end of the story?
Outcome: How does the end of the story affect the character?
Statements and Actions:
Statements: What is the most important or memorable thing the character says?
Actions: What is the character’s most important action?
Interactions: How does the character get along with other characters?
My Impressions:
Like: What do you like most about this character?
Dislike: What do you dislike most about this character?
Personal Connection: Who does this character remind you of and why?
Bigger Questions:
How does the setting affect how the character:
In the End:
Is the character Round? Flat? Dynamic? Static?
How do you know?
Four types of characterization:
Four types of characters:
Five ways to analyze characters:
Most Importantly:
How to Analyze a Character(s)
Setting:
Where does the story take place?
Description:
Appearance: what does the character look like?
Personality: How would you describe the character’s personality?
Protagonist or Antagonist?
Insights:
Thoughts: What are the character’s most important thoughts?
Feelings: What are the characters’ most important feelings?
Development:
Problem/Conflict: What is the character’s problem at the beginning of the story?
Goal: What does the character want to happen by the end of the story?
Outcome: How does the end of the story affect the character?
Statements and Actions:
Statements: What is the most important or memorable thing the character says?
Actions: What is the character’s most important action?
Interactions: How does the character get along with other characters?
My Impressions:
Like: What do you like most about this character?
Dislike: What do you dislike most about this character?
Personal Connection: Who does this character remind you of and why?
Bigger Questions:
How does the setting affect how the character:
- Speaks
- Acts
- Interacts
- Thinks
- Feels
- How does the setting contribute to this?
- How do the character(s) actions contribute to this?
In the End:
Is the character Round? Flat? Dynamic? Static?
How do you know?
Four types of characterization:
- Physical description.
- Speech and actions.
- Direct comment from the narrator.
- Speech and actions of other characters.
Four types of characters:
- Round: A complex and fully developed character.
- Dynamic: A character that develops throughout the story.
- Flat: A character described by one or two traits.
- Static: A character that does not change from the beginning of the story to its end.
Five ways to analyze characters:
- Motivation: What causes the character to act?
- Behavior: What does the character do?
- Consequences: What results from the character’s behavior?
- Responsibility: Is the character held accountable for his/her actions?
- Expectations: Are the reader’s expectations fulfilled or challenged? Why is this so?
- If they were a shape?
- If they were a car?
- If they were a weather system?
- If they were an article of clothing?
- If they were a book genre?
- If they were music/song?
- If they were a sport?
- If they were a piece of furniture?
- If they were an element in nature?
- If they were a food?
- If they were a number?
- If they were a sound?
- If they were an instrument?
Most Importantly:
- What is the author’s purpose in creating this particular character in this particular manner?