ESSAY WRITING Character Analysis

Choosing a topic Choose one of the main characters in your Independent novel  protagonist or antagonist Consider that you are setting out to prove something about this  will need to identify 3 character traits,  discuss and analyze those traits,  and then come to some conclusion about the character based on the analysis of the traits.

Paragraph 1: The Introduction Follow ANT  A: Attention grabber  Consider using a quotation from the story or a line of a song lyric that reminds you of that character  N: Necessary information  Author’s full name, title of the story, brief plot summary  T: Thesis  Your thesis should consist of a topic and limiting ideas. It should NEVER be a question. It should be the last sentence of the intro paragraph. Thesis should make clear what characteristics you are writing on a what they add to the story.

Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4: Body Body Paragraphs should follow TIQAT  T: Topic Sentence  Ex: Sarty’s fear of his father keeps him loyal to the family for much of the story, despite the fact that he knows his father is breaking the law.  Character trait introduced: Loyal  I: Introduce Quote  Give some context to the quote Who’s speaking? What are the circumstances?  Q: Quote  Provide a quote that supports the topic sentence  A: Analysis  After the quote, spend two or three sentences discussing how this quote proves that the character displays this trait  T: Transition  Use a sentence to transition into a SECOND quote for support  After 2 nd quote, provide context and analysis. Then transition to next paragraph

Analyzing Character Traits Consider the following when analyzing your character  Appearance and Name  Analyze the direct characterization of the character’s appearance. Then discuss how the appearance helps to develop the character  Actions  List actions of the character. Then analyze how those actions define the character.  Speech  List some relevant dialogue that helps to define your character

Analyzing Character Traits  Thoughts and Feelings  Analyze thoughts and feelings of character and determine how these define the character  Choices  Analyze the choices made by your character. These reveal the character’s value and self concept  Past/Biography  Examine family history or past experiences of character  Comments  What do other character’s say about your character? What does that reveal?

Paragraph 5: The Conclusion Reword your thesis Tie all three character traits together Tell the reader the significance or importance of the ideas you have been analyzing  Is your character round or flat?  Is your character static or dynamic? Clincher: Try to end the paper with a short sentence that reinforces your argument  Maybe include words from attention grabber or title to give closure to your paper