2. In-class writing: What defines your
character?
Group Discussions
Choosing your prompt
Formulating a tentative thesis
Outlining your essay
Vocabulary
3. How do others perceive your
character?
How does your character see him or
herself?
If there is a difference, what causes
it?
4. What makes your character who he or she
is? Explain or defend his or her behavior and
actions. Consider these influences:
Culture
Family history
Personal history
Class/Occupation/Assignment
Gender/Sex
Aspirations
5. Write at least three questions that you would like to
ask other characters in your group.
Choose questions that will shed light on their
motivations and behavior.
Remember, they will be doing the same for you.
When we get into groups, these questions will be the
fodder for your discussion today.
Jot down any discoveries you make about your
character.
7. Is he or she a minor or major character?
Does your character grow during the novel?
Does your character reflect his or her culture in a
significant way?
Does your character suffer internal or external
challenges that reveal his or her ethics, morals, or
nature.
Could your character be read as a tragic hero?
8.
9. TOPIC 1: Not all supporting characters play an
integral role in a story; however, sometimes a
minor character is so important to the novel that
the theme, plot, protagonist, or antagonist
would be greatly changed if that character did
not exist. From A Game of Thrones, analyze a
minor character that plays a significant role.
Write a well-developed essay in which you
analyze the character and explain why he or she
is a significant character in the work. Be sure to
use specific examples and quotations to support
your claims.
10. TOPIC 2: A dynamic character is one who
changes or grows emotionally or
psychologically from the beginning of the
novel until end. Many novels have multiple
dynamic characters. Choose one character
from A Game of Thrones and write a well-
developed essay in which you prove that he or
she is a dynamic character. Be sure to use
specific examples and quotations to support
your claims.
11. TOPIC 3: Often a character reflects the culture
of the country in which he or she lives, that is,
he or she exemplifies the skills, arts, values,
beliefs, and ideals of a certain people or
country. From A Game of Thrones, choose a
character that embodies the culture of the
people he or she represents. In a well-
developed essay, define the culture of one
character and show how that character
illustrates that culture.
12. TOPIC 4: Analyze a character that reveals his or
her personality, ethics, morals, and nature
through the challenges he or she faces. Think
about the different types of conflict that exist.
Conflict can be external, such as person versus
person, person versus nature, or person versus
society. Conflict can also be internal, for
example, person versus self. How does your
chosen character experience conflict during the
novel? Keep in mind how conflict causes a
character to change throughout the course of the
story.
13. TOPIC 5: Aristotle's ideas about tragedy were
recorded in his book of literary theory titled
Poetics. In it, he has a great deal to say about
the structure, purpose, and intended effect of
tragedy. His ideas have been adopted,
disputed, expanded, and discussed for several
centuries now. In a well-written essay, analyze
a character from Game of Thrones, arguing for
or against his or her status as a “tragic hero.”
14.
15. 1. Analyze a minor character that plays a significant role. Write a
well-developed essay in which you analyze the character and
explain why he or she is a significant character in the work.
2. Choose one character and write a well-developed essay in which
you prove that he or she is a dynamic character.
3. Choose a character that embodies the culture of the people he or
she represents. Define the culture of one character and show how
that character illustrates that culture.
4. Analyze a character that reveals his or her personality, ethics,
morals, and nature through the challenges he or she faces. How
does your chosen character experience and manage conflict?
5. In a well-written essay, analyze a character, arguing for or against
his or her status as a “tragic hero.”
17. Your thesis is a statement or theory that you put
forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.
It is also a map for your essay; that is, it tells the reader
what you are suggesting and why you believe your
theory is true.
But your thesis does more than help the reader. A
good, clear working thesis (one that may not yet be
beautiful prose but that details your plan) can help you
outline your essay.
18. If you don’t yet know which prompt to address, responding
to a couple of them by writing rough theses might help you
choose.
Write out a rough thesis for at least one of the prompts: for
example, if you chose topic 4, you might start with “Jon
Snow reveals his personality, ethics, morals, and nature
when he faces his life challenges. He struggles with both
internal and external conflict: life at Winterfell, life as a
bastard, life on the wall, and his struggle with honor,
justice and duty. Jon changes as he confronts each of these
issues, growing from an angry boy into an honorable man
of the night’s watch.”
19. Of course, this working thesis is in its simplest form.
You will likely change it significantly as you refine your
thoughts and ideas about your character.
For example, instead of saying “Jon Snow reveals his
personality, ethics, morals, and nature when he
faces his life challenges,” I would likely assert what
kind of personality, ethics, morals, and nature that
he reveals. I might even limit my thesis to the two
most fruitful categories.
20. The more I understand about Jon and who he is based
on how he confronts his conflicts, the more specific I
would make my thesis.
For now, a working thesis and a simple outline can
help you see which questions you can, or want to,
answer.
They can also help you develop ideas about what you
will write before you launch into your project.
21. Once you have your thesis (or theses
written), start sketching out a working
outline.
Use your thesis to determine what you
will write.
As you make your outline, consider
which textual examples you will use as
support.
22. Intro
Thesis
Internal Conflict
Personality
Mother/birth
Ethics
Justice/fairness
Morals
Struggle with duty on the
wall
Nature
Wanting to be a ranger
External Conflict
Life at Winterfell
Personality
Catelyn
Ethics
Defending Samwell
Morals
Nature
Direwolves
Conclusion
26. Read A Game of Thrones through 600
Post #10 In-class writing: What defines your
character ? Slides 3 and 4
Post #11 Post your working thesis and
outline. Find evidence to support your points.
Include exact quotations and citations in your
outline.
Study Vocabulary: Test Tuesday
