STEPS TO CREATE A CHARACTER ANALYSIS ESSAY
Thesis Statement for Literary Analysis of Tangerine Character
1. Look at the choices and consequence charts on pages:
182, 196, 207 and 220
2. Pick THREE of the choices that are related that you can use in your essay.
Write these down on paper, or type them on WORD.
3. Begin writing your paper by creating an introduction and thesis with the
below information. (use the embedded assessment and p.226 to help you
organize your thoughts)
Introduction for Tangerine literary analysis
 Anecdote
Imagine being a part of family where you feel like you don’t matter at
all and your father barely pays attention to you. You look for him at your
soccer games, but he’s not there. You ask him about your childhood, but he
leaves out information to protect you. This is the family dynamic for Paul
Fischer in the novel Tangerine.
 Question
Are some people born evil? In Tangerine, Paul Fisher probably asks
that question when thinking about his own brother, Erik.
 Quote
“I am all right. I’m more than all right. Finally.” Paul Fisher writes
these words in his journal near the end of the novel Tangerine. His journey
up to this point was filled with many choices: some made by him, and some
made by his brother, Erik.
 Statement of Intrigue
Some things in life are just out of your control. You can control your
own words, actions, and beliefs. You can control your own choices,
reactions, and attitudes. What you can’t control are other people’s choices.
In the novel Tangerine, Paul Fisher learns this lesson when his life is turned
upside down by the choices of his parents—choices that he could not
control.
Thesis Statement for Literary Analysis of Tangerine Character
In the novel Tangerine by Edward Bloor,
______________________ makes several
(Character name)
____________________ choices that
(Adjective)
______________________________________.
(Impact on Paul)
Examples
1. In the novel Holes by Louis Sachar, Zero makes several surprising choices
that help Stanley uncover the truth about himself and the curse on his
family.
2. In the novel Holes by Louis Sachar, Zero makes several dangerous choices
that put his and Stanley’s life in danger; however, those choices ultimately
help create a strong bond between the two characters.