Character Chart

User Generated

zvazvazvazva

Humanities

Description

Follow this link to the character chart. You will also find it in our Files page in the file titled Weeks 3-4.

Using the Chapter 4 Writing About Character handout to guide you, fill it out the chart. Writing about character will be one of the options that you get to choose to write your essay about.

1) In the first column, write down the character type.

2) In the second column, write down textual evidence or a quote that supports the character type you identified in the first column.

3) In the third column, write down your thoughts/opinions about the quote and how it relates to the character type you identified in the first column

at lest 700 words

I will upload the The title of article which is WAL Chapter 4: Writing About Character(82-93). it is 12 pages

Unformatted Attachment Preview

Name of Character Trait/ textual Character evidence 1 2 3 4 5 Notes: What does the textual evidence reveal? Is the character round? Flat? Stereotype? Realistic (verisimilitude) Chapter 4: Writing About Character: Terminology Character: a verbal representation of a human being through action, speech, description, and commentary Trait: a quality of mind or habitual that is evident in both active or passive ways Round characters: we are told enough to about them to conclude that they are three dimensional, rounded, authentic, memorable, original, and true to life. Flat characters: simple and one-dimensional. Static: unchanging, not dynamic. Stock character: used to describe characters that who appear in repeated situations. They are often considered representatives of their class or group. Stereotype: characters that exhibit conventional and unindividual traits. They all seem to be cast in the same mold. Verisimilitude, probability, plausibility: in order to be true to life, characters should exhibit actions, statements, and thoughts that human beings are likely to do, say, and think under the conditions presented in the literary work. In groups: • • • • List three of the different characters we have met so far in the story. What traits do they exhibit? Are they round or flat characters? Why? Do you think any of the characters are stereotypes? Why? Do the characters’ actions, thoughts, speech seem plausible/probable? That is, do they exhibit verisimilitude? Why or why not? Chapter 4 Writing About Character: The People in Literature Fiction, Drama, and Poetry understanding of human character and human life. In our own day, under the influences of such pioneers as Freud, Jung, and Skinner, the science of psychology has influenced some of his psychological conclusions by referring to literary works, especially plays by Shakespeare. Widely known though now old films such as Spellbound (1945) and both the creation and the study of literature. It is well known that Freud buttressed The Snake Pit (1948) have popularized the relationships between literary character and psychology. Without doubt, the presentation and understanding of character are major aims of fiction (and literature generally). In literature , a character is a verbal representation of a human being. Through action, speech, description, and commentary, authors portray characters who are worth caring about, cheering for, and even loving, although there are also characters you may laugh at, dislike, or even hate. In a story or play emphasizing a major character, you may expect that each action or speech, no matter how small, is part of a total presentation of the complex combination of both the inner self and the outer self that constitute a human being. Whereas in life, things may “just happen," in literature, all actions, interactions, speeches, and observations are deliberate. Thus, you read about important actions as a young man's convoluted pathway into mistrust and suspicion (Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown”) or a devoted grandmother's errand of mercy (Eudora Welty's “A Worn Path"). By making such actions interesting, authors help you to understand and appreciate not only their major characters but also life itself. such Character Traits In studying a literary character, try to determine the character's outstanding traits. A trait is a quality of mind or habitual mode of behavior that is evident in both active and passive ways, such as never repaying borrowed money, supplying moral support to thoughts and problems of others, avoiding eye contact, taking the biggest portions, or always thinking oneself the center of attention. 82 Chapter 4. Writing About Character 83 straightforward Sometimes, of course, the traits that we encounter are minor and, therefore, negli- gible, but often a trait may be a person's primary characteristic (not only in fiction but also in life). Thus, characters may be ambitious or lazy, serene or anxious, aggressive or fearful, thoughtful or inconsiderate, open or secretive, confident or self-doubting, kind or cruel, quiet or noisy, visionary or practical, careful or careless, impartial or biased, or underhanded, “winners” or “losers," and so on. With this sort of list, to which you may add at will, you can analyze and develop conclusions about character. For example, Mathilde in Maupassant's "The Necklace" indulges in dreams of unattainable wealth and comfort and is so swept up in her visions that she scorns her comparatively good life with her reliable but dull husband. It is fair Maupassant shows that her dream life harms her real life. A contrast is seen in the to say that this denial of reality is her major trait. It is also a major weakness, because speaker of Lowell's poem “Patterns," who is realistically facing the truth that her hopes for happiness have been destroyed because of her fiancé's battlefield death. By similarly analyzing the thoughts, actions, and speeches of the literary characters you encounter, you can draw conclusions about their nature and their qualities. Distinguishing Between Circumstances and Character Traits When you study a fictional person, distinguish between circumstances and character, for circumstances have value only if you show that they demonstrate important traits. Thus, if our friend Sam wins a lottery, let us congratulate him on his luck. His win does not say much about his character, however, unless you also point out that for years he has been regularly spending hundreds of dollars each week for lottery tickets. In other words, making an extraordinary effort to win the lottery is a character trait but winning (or losing) is not. Or let us suppose that an author stresses the neatness of one character and the sloppiness of another. If you accept the premise that people care for their appearance according to choice—and that choices develop from character-you can use these details to make conclusions about a person's self-esteem or the lack of it. In short, when reading about characters in literature, look beyond circumstances, actions, and appear- ances, and attempt to determine what these things show about character. Always try to get from the outside to the inside, for it is the internal qualities of character that deter- mine external behavior. How Authors Disclose Character in Literature Basically, authors rely on five ways of bringing characters to life. Remember that you must use your own knowledge and experience to make judgments about the qualities of the characters. The Actions of Characters Reveal Their Qualities What characters do is our best clue to understanding what they are. For example, walk- ing in the woods is recreation for most people, and it shows little about their characters Designated Literary Topics Part II • Writing Essays on 84 loving nature has overwhelmed his instinct for self-preservation. except a fondness for the outdoors (perhaps a significant trait). But Phoenix's walk Her walk, seen within the context of her age and her mission, can be taken as the through the woods in Eudora Welty's “A Worn Path” is difficult and dangerous for her. meanings and implications of their actions. Smirnov in Anton Chekhov's play The Bear, expression of her loving, responsible character. Often, characters are unaware of the has threatened to kill him with it. Even before he recognizes his love for her, he is sub- for example, would be a fool to teach Mrs. Popov to use her dueling pistol because she consciously aware of this love, and his potentially self-destructive action shows that his how they may be changing or why they do the things they do. The strong inner conflict Like ordinary human beings, fictional characters do not necessarily understand strength. Theoretically, they have an overriding obligation to the law, but they discover experienced by the two women in Glaspell's short play Trifles brings out their character Hence, they show their adaptability and their willingness to alter their behavior as a that they have an even stronger personal obligation to the accused killer, Minnie. result of the things they discover in the farmhouse kitchen. In Mansfield’s “Miss Brilla the major character is alone—always alone—and she goes to a public park to enjoy the passing crowd (her only weekly entertainment). She eavesdrops on nearby and draws silent conclusions about them, thus vicariously sharing in their lives She even supposes that all those in the park are actors, along with herself , performing in a massive drama of life. Her unrealistic daydreams reveal her habitual solitude and pathetic vulnerability. people sitting The Author's Descriptions Tell Us About Characters Appearance and environment reveal much about a character's social and economic status, and they also tell us about character traits. Mathilde in Maupassant's “The Neck- lace" dreams about wealth and unlimited purchasing power. Although her unrealizable desires destroy her way of life, they also cause her strength of character to emerge. The descriptions of the rural countryside in Eudora Welty's “A Worn Path" are unique and interesting, but beyond that, they bring out the determination of Phoenix, her loyalty and dedication to her grandson, and her age and softening physical condition. What Characters Say Reveals What They Are Like Although the speeches of most characters are functional-essential to keeping the action moving along—they provide material from which you may draw conclusions. When the second traveler in Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” speaks, for exam. ple, he reveals his devious and deceptive nature even though he appears friendly. The lawmen in Trifles speak straightforwardly but without much understanding of the women in the story . Their speeches suggest that their characters are similarly direct but unimaginative, although their constant belittling of the two women indicates their inability to understand others. Often, characters use speech to hide their motives, although we as readers should see through such a ploy. The narrator Montresor in Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," for example, is a vengeful schemer, and we can see this much from his indirect and
Purchase answer to see full attachment
User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.

Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Running Head: CHARACTER CHART

WAL Chapter 4: Writing About Character
Student’s Name
Instructor’s Name
Course
Date

1

CHARACTER CHART

2

Following the article, WAL Chapter 4: Writing About Character (82-93), the following
character chart has been filled based on Susan Glaspell’s Trifles.
Name of
Character

Character Trait/ textual evidence

Notes: What does the textual evidence
reveal? Is the character round? Flat?
Stereotype? Realistic (verisimilitude)

1
Minnie
Wright
(Round
Character)

According to the book, Glaspell (2011)
explains that Minnie, “back then, she sang
joyfully in the local choir. But in marriage,
Minnie became timid, sad, and isolated.
She killed her husband by strangling him in
retribution for his final cruelness of killing
her pet bird, the only being that provided
happiness and company for her in the
loneliness of her home and the patriarchal
society that isolated her.”

The textual evidence reveals that Minnie
Wright is a round character. This is
because, in the beginning, she was
innocent, joyful and loving. However, after
she got married, she felt isolated and
became cruel, sad, and timid leading to her
killing her husband. This is to show that
life circumstances forced her to change...


Anonymous
Excellent resource! Really helped me get the gist of things.

Studypool
4.7
Trustpilot
4.5
Sitejabber
4.4

Related Tags