Comprehension Review of “Adam” by Kurt Vonnegut
Focus Element of Fiction: Characterization
EW: How is the protagonist introduced and developed within the text?
1. Why does Heinz Knechtmann feel so much older than his twenty-two years?
2. Does Knechtmann really care where the child to be born is a girl or boy? Explain.
3. Does the doctor share Knechtmann’s delight in the birth? Explain.
4. What happens when Heinz visits the nursery? Why might Vonnegut focus on the responses of the nurse and the
baby to Heinz?
5. When Knechtmann reaches the bank of telephone booths, why doesn’t he make a call to spread the good news?
6. After Knechtmann shares his good news with Sousa and the bartender, why does he feel so alone?
7. When Knechtmann meets Harry, his co-worker, and Harry’s girl friend, he tells them the news. How do they
react?
8. What restores Heinz’s sense of awe at the miracle of birth?
Characterization is the ways in which a writer reveals a character’s personality. There are five basic
methods of characterization:
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Speech: description of the character’s words (what they say and how they say it)
Thoughts: presentation of the character’s thoughts and feelings
Effects on others: interactions with other characters with and reactions to situations
Actions: presentation of characters’ dialogue and interactions with other characters
Looks: the characters physical appearance
Directions: Record what you learn about the main character, Heinz Knechtmann, through the methods of
characterization listed in the first column of the chart.
Method
Textual Evidence
Speech
#1:
#2:
Thoughts
#1:
#2:
Effect on
Others
#1:
#2:
Actions
#1:
#2:
Looks
#1:
#2:
What conclusions can you draw about the protagonist, Heinz Knechtmann? Cite specific diction to support your answer.
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