1. How is the character of … represented?
A 10 minute plan

2. Approaching a character question
You must plan
Be aware that all character questions need to address any development of the character.
First question to ask: Does this character develop or change in any major way from the beginning to the end of the text?
Second Question: Are there any obvious staging posts in this development
Third Question: from whom does our information come in the text?
With which themes do they interact?

3. Question 1: Consider Candy
Starts the text as a friendly gossip
Is bullied and becomes the provider of money for the dream
Bitter attack on the dead Curley’s wife.

4. Question 2 Dream shattered. Blames CW.
Greets L&G –focus on their absence – intro of idea of ‘Boss’ defensive
Ggssips and into of CW”
Dog – victim of bullying
Attaches to L&G as provider of money
Full team player in Crook’s room
Dream shattered. Blames CW.

5. Question 3 Part 2: own words about all others and self Part 3
Bullied; omniscient narrator gives all emotion
Part 3:
Tells George aboui self
Part 4 : sharing with Crooks/Lennie. Comments by CW about weakness
Part 5:
Omniscient narrator -verb/adverb choice
5. own actions and words

6. Question 4 Does your character relate to any key themes?
Does the writer use him to shed light in any way?
Candy: makes the Dream possible by providing money
Clearly suffers anguish at the collapse of the Dream
Is a victim in the Power theme
Represents both the need to Work and the fragility of Work
Companionship- the dog, the sense of betrayal of the dog, the need to join G&L and even Crooks
Discrimination: his gossip sets up CW as a negative figure, he is careless about Crooks.

7. What is said (part 2) By Self Effect created
He was sore as hell when you wasn’t here
Proxy power –knows Boss’ thoughts
Used to wash… even after he ate
Defensive about ‘his’ realm
See, the stable buck’s a nigger… nice fella too…
Unaware of casual racism and discrimination
Glove fulla vaseline
Enjoys salacious gossip
I think Curley’s married… a tart
Delays punchline for effect -gossip
I wasn’t listening…
He has been caught

8. By others said By/why ‘tall stoop shouldered old man’
Narrator –intro. Delays info re hand…
Round stick-like wrist…
Narrator –descriptive, thin, weak
‘the old man’
Narrator- emphasizes the age difference
‘shuffled to the door’
Embarrassed in Boss’ presence
You was poking your big nose into our business
George has summed him up
Candy feeds him milk
Carlson on relationship with dog - cynical

9. Now, make a table of descriptors found from other sources:
Character/ chapter
quotation ?

10. So
You have tracked the development – each stage of the development receives one or two paragraphs. Don’t just retell the story. Focus on the presentation of character.
You have quickly noted a few key quotations
You have Point(the character) , evidence (quotation) with a little discussion and analysis of language and reflection on the events taking place at the time. A good essay awaits.

11. Example
‘Candy is first welcomed as friendly, but quickly reveals himself to be a gossip. Although he welcomes Lennie and George, he is swift ot gain power by seeming to be party to the Boss’ thoughts: ‘He was sore as hell when you wasn’t here’…

12. Or
His vulnerability is exploited by Carlson…
Complete this example…

13. NOW
Over to you. All the characters in any text you are reading can be approached in this way.
Try to plan quickly.
Spot the hinge point when the development takes hold
Focus on your key quotations.