How to write a Character Analysis (Characterization) Take Notes While you are reading, it is useful to take notes or highlight/underline any and all of the critical elements of the story. This will add depth to your character description(s). By providing vivid and specific examples, you connect your reader to the character, and the character comes alive in their eyes. When you’re finished reading with your character in mind, review your notes and formulate the main idea about your character. Make an initial draft while taking note of the character analysis essay outline provided by your instructor. If you have not been provided with a sample, you may follow the recommended character analysis essay format. Choose a Main Idea While reading the story, make sure you keep track of your notes. It is a good idea to look at them, choose the ones that are the most representative of your character and find patterns. This will be your thesis. Then, you need to support this idea with examples and situations involving your character. If your character were Jem Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the main idea would be how his personal character is shaped through racial conflicts, social inequalities and internal struggles between public opinion, his own views, and what is actually right. Character Analysis Questions Now that you have jotted down some main concepts about your character, here is a list of questions that can help you fill in the blanks you might still have: Where do the events involving your character take place? What are the relationships of your character and other significant characters? What is the primary change your character has gone through throughout the story? What is your character's background? What is your character’s occupation? What kind of emotions does your character go through? What are your character’s values? What is your character’s value? Does your character have friends? Is there a lesson your character has learned by the end of the story? Does the character achieve the goals he/she has set for himself/herself? Make an Outline Writing a literary analysis outline can be considered one of the most critical steps in writing. A well-constructed character analysis outline will keep your thoughts and ideas organized. Introduction: Make the introduction to your paper brief and meaningful. It should hold together your entire essay and should spark the interest of your audience. Write a short description of the character in question. Body: Subdivide your body paragraphs into different ideas or areas regarding the character. Look at your professor’s rubric and make sure that you’ll be able to tackle all of the things required. You should also be provided with questions to be answered to formulate your analysis better. The body should answer the following questions: What is the character’s physical appearance, personality, and background? What are the conflicts the character experiences and how did he/she overcome them? What can we learn from this character? What is the meaning behind the character's actions? What motivates him/her? What does the character do? How does he/she treat others? Is he/she fair or unjust? What does the character say? What is his/her choice of words? Does he/she have a rich vocabulary? How does the character describe themself? How do others describe him/her? What words do you associate with the character? Perhaps a word like “hope”, “bravery”, or maybe even “freedom”? Conclusion: It’s time to master the secrets of how to write a conclusion for a character analysis. Your conclusion should also hold your ideas together and shape a final analysis statement. Mention things about the character’s conflicts that we could experience in real life. Additionally, you can write about how a character should’ve reacted to a certain situation. Task: Make a checklist with all the essential information for a good essay and post it in teams. Sample Character Analysis Essay Unexpected Lessons: A characterization of Mrs. Jones. When great teachers are mentioned, most people think of biology instructors, football coaches, Girl Scout leaders, and others in similar positions. However, some of the greatest teachers may be individuals not normally classified as teachers. Roger, a character in the short story “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, encounters such an unusual teacher on a city sidewalk. Because she is a fearless, trustful, and generous woman, Mrs. Jones teaches Roger a lesson he will remember. Roger is a would-be thief. At about eleven o’clock one night, he runs up behind Mrs. Jones and tries to snatch her purse. When he falls down on the sidewalk, Mrs. Jones “simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue jeaned sitter” (78). While some women would have avoided confrontation with a stranger under similar circumstances, Mrs. Jones does not. She shook Roger “until his teeth rattled” and then demanded, “Pick up my pocketbook boy, and give it here” (78). Mrs. Jones shows no fear in her encounter with Roger. Not only does Mrs. Jones display courage, but she also proves to be a trusting person. She decides that Roger needs to wash and to eat and that she will take him to her home in order to do so. “I got a great mind to wash your face for you,” (78) she tells Roger. “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?” (78). In just a few words, she assumes the role of a teacher and a mother substitute. She not only takes Roger home but she also continues to display a trusting nature once they arrive. When she gets up to prepare supper, Mrs. Jones “did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the daybed” (79). Roger begins to respond to Mrs. Jones in a positive way. Hughes tells the readers that Roger “did not want to be mistrusted now” (79). Her trust in Roger is beginning to create a relationship between them. Mrs. Jones’s generosity to Roger extends beyond her sharing a meal with him. Roger tells her that he tried to steal her purse in order to get money for a pair of blue suede shoes. Mrs. Jones then does a remarkable thing. She takes money from her purse and says, “Now here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s—because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet” (78). She bids him goodnight, and Roger wants to express his gratitude but cannot find words more eloquent than a simple “thank you.” However, Hughes leaves the readers with the definite impression that Roger has been profoundly touched by the generosity of Mrs. Jones. Some teachers are brilliant instructors due to their superior education. Others make excellent teachers because they are adept as communicators. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones emerges not from a university but rather from a hotel beauty shop to become Roger’s teacher. Her courage, trust, and generosity communicate more to Roger than mere words ever could. Tasks: 1. Underline the thesis statement. 2. Underline the topic sentences: What are the themes of each paragraph? 3. How does the conclusion revert back to (= bezieht sich zurück auf) the thesis?
