Name: __Teacher’s Example__________________ Period: _______
Character Profile
Directions: Complete the following character profile for a character from the text.
Text: _____The Monsters are Due on Maple Street_______________
Character: ____Tommy___________________________________
Speech
What does the character say?
Act 1 - “Mr. Brand, you better not! They don’t want you to. Whoever was in the thing that
came over. I don’t think they want us to leave here. It’s always that way in every story I
ever read about a ship landing from outer space.
Act 2 – “It’s the monster! It’s the monster!
What can I infer about the character?
Act 1 - Tommy is a comic book reader. He is speaking seriously about the aliens. He is not
trying to scare other people on purpose. He appears to be a smart and innocent kid. He is
very persistent in trying to get Mr. Brand to listen.
Act 2 – Tommy is fearful. He really think there is a monster coming down the street.
Actions
What are the character’s actions?
Act 1 - Tommy stops Mr. Brand and Charlie from going downtown. He tells his story even
when his parents are staring him down and the crowd starts making remarks about how
ridiculous his story is.
Act 2 – He points out the “monster” coming down the street. Later when he is accused of
being the monster, he buries his face into his mother. Tommy and his mom must run from
the crowd.
What can I infer about the character and his/her actions?
Act 1 - Tommy is a persistent character. He wants to be heard.
Act 2 – He is scared and wants the adults to help get “the monster”. He is fearful for his
life.
Thoughts and Feelings
What are the character’s thoughts and feelings?
Act 1 and 2 - Tommy thinks that aliens have turned off the power. He is scared that what
he has read in his comic books has come to life.
What can I infer about the character knowing his/her thoughts and feelings?
Act 1 and 2 - Tommy reads so many comic books that he has started to believe that these
stories are true. Tommy must be a little immature to believe that aliens could have taken
over.
Tommy is frightened in Act two when Charlie accuses him of being the monster.
Appearance
What does the character look like?
Tommy is a serious faced fourteen year old that wears glasses.
What can I infer about the character from his/her appearance?
He is the youngest character.
Other Character’s Reactions
What are other character’s reactions to this character?
Act 1 - The other characters react strongly to Tommy’s “alien” story. They are irritated
with him since he is bringing up emotions of fear inside of them.
Act 2 – The other characters listen to Charlie and believe that Tommy can be the monster.
What can I infer about this character from the way others react to him/her?
Act 1 – Even though he is young, adults are taking what he says seriously. Tommy must be a
truthful kid.
Act 2 – The characters are reacting out of fear. They are looking for any scapegoat.
Direct Character Traits
What are the character’s direct character traits?
Tommy is a reader. He is a 14-year-old boy. Tommy has a mom named Sally. He is bold when
talking to adults.
What can I infer about the character knowing his/her direct character traits?
Tommy appears to be a pretty intelligent kid since he likes to read. He also seems like he
might have a lot of knowledge about space, aliens, and science fiction. Tommy seems like a
persistent kid who usually is heard and gets his way. He doesn’t seem like he is a liar or a
troublemaker.
Connections
My connection to the character:
Tommy reminds me of a lot of typical 14-year-old boys. Like many other boys, he enjoys
reading comic books and reading information about aliens. I can also connect to Tommy’s
fears at the end of Act 2. If I had an angry mob of people ready to attack me, I would also
run to my mom for safety.