NAME:___________________________________________
PERIOD:_____
Character Analysis Paragraph
*Attach this page to the top of your paragraph before turning it in!*
Due Date: Friday, January 8th
Assignment: Choose one of the options below and write a paragraph about a character from your
Independent Reading book. Circle the option you choose.
1. CHARACTER CHANGE: How does the protagonist grow or change? Provide at least two pieces of text
evidence from your book to support your theory and explain how that evidence supports your theory.
2. CHARACTER MOTIVATION: What motivates the protagonist? Provide at least two pieces of text
evidence from your book to support your theory and explain how that evidence supports your theory.
3. CHARACTER TRAIT: Identify one character trait for your protagonist. Provide at least two pieces of
text evidence from your book to support your theory and explain how that evidence supports your
theory.
Writing Rubric – Suggested format on back page
Cite Text
Evidence
(RL6.1/RI6.1)
Explanation of
Evidence
(W6.2b)
Topic Sentence
(W6.2a)
Character
Analysis
(RL 6.3)
4
3
2
1
Comments
Cites more than
enough of the
strongest text
evidence to support
inference or analysis.
Cites enough
related text
evidence to support
inference or
analysis.
Cites vague or too
little text evidence
to support inference
or analysis.
Cites unrelated or
incorrect text
evidence to support
inference or analysis
OR does not cite text
evidence.
Provides insightful
explanation/analysis
of how text details
support opinion.
Provides clear
explanation/
analysis of how text
details support
opinion.
Provides some
explanation/ analysis
of how text details
support opinion.
Provides no or
incorrect
explanation/ analysis
of how text details
support opinion.
A clear topic sentence
that includes a title,
author, and complex,
insightful theory
about the character.
A clear topic
sentence that
includes a title,
author, and theory
about the character.
A topic sentence that
may or may not
include the title and
author but does
attempt a theory
about the character.
Missing topic
sentence or does not
include a theory
about the character.
Overall grade:
I can put a topic sentence, evidence, and explanation together to analyze a
character.
When you are writing an analysis about a text, you should include:
1. Topic sentence that includes the text (title and author) and an insightful theory (about character, theme,
conflict, etc).
2. Provide evidence that supports your theory (paraphrased or direct quotes) and INCLUDE A CITATION.
3. Explain to your reader how the evidence supports the theory (be very specific and “connect the dots” for
your reader.
4. Concluding ideas
Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Choose which of the three paragraph options would be best for you to write about.
Step 2: Create a theory about your character – one that is insightful and you can explain with evidence.
Step 3: Look for evidence from the text (ADD CITATIONS) and start to explain (use entry in your Reader’s Notebook).
Step 4: Choose your best evidence and explanations. Put a star by the ones you want to use in your writing.
Step 5: Put it all together in a formal piece of writing (paragraph or essay). Be intentional about how you organize your
ideas and be sure to include enough information.
Step 6: Add transitions to make the flow of ideas very clear to your reader.
Step 7: Finish off your writing with a conclusion statement. Restate your theory in a new way and explain why it is
important.
Example paragraph:
In the novel, Masters of Disaster by Gary Paulson, Reed changes by learning to courageously stand up for
himself through a series of adventures. When Henry proposes the first adventure, to ride down a roof on a bike, Reed
quietly disagreed in a “small voice” (Paulsen 4). A small voice implies a lack of courage. He was so scared he was having
a panic attack, but still couldn’t say no, even to his best friends. Because Reed doesn’t have enough courage to speak
up, Henry and Riley frequently ignored Reed. But after each adventure, Reed gained a bit more courage and a little more
interest in the thrill of the adventure. For example, after Henry tells Reed he is brave “Reed looked thoughtful. ‘Is that
what brave feels like?”(Paulson 39). We believe what others tell us and Reed seemed hopeful that maybe he really is
brave. He’s brave for the first time and this continues his motivation to find more courage.
Eventually, the adventures became too much and Reed stood up to the boys saying “no…firmly…need to stand
up for myself” (Paulsen 76). This is the first time he says anything firmly and it a huge contrast to the small voice at the
beginning of the novel. Reed used to think going along with his friends was the way to impress people, and would
frequently say “I don’t mean to worry anyone”. Now he’s realizes, not only can he stand up for himself, but standing up
for himself is more impressive to others. This aha moment proves to be true since Henry finally listens to him and says
Reed doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to. At the beginning of the book Reed said his “Inner Courageous Guy
is hibernating” (Paulson 7). It turns out he was right, but after a few adventures that Courageous Guy wakes up.
Because Reed survived a variety of dangerous adventures, he believed in himself and gained the confidence to speak his
mind, he changed from the beginning of Masters of Disaster to the end.