Discuss character analysis

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Todays Goals

1. Discuss character analysis
2. Begin our next summative assessmenta character
   analysis essay.

Yay, essays!
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Biggest differences between a literary analysis
and a regular research paper

• The introduction is arranged a bit differently
  and has its own content requirements.
• You may end up using only one source, the story
  itself, but you still need to have a works cited
  with the story listed.
• This paper will be less persuasive and more
  informative, although we still refer to your
  supporting paragraphs as arguments and your
  thesis as a claim.
• The analysis is different and we will mostly
  focus on that part today.

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Discuss Character Analysis

• Steps to character analysis
• Choose a character. (Should be brother)
• Make a fact-based opinion statement about your
  character.
• Support with textual evidence.

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Discuss Little Red Riding Hood

• Steps to character analysis
• Choose a character.
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Make a statement about your character.
• Little Red Riding Hood is a victim of parental
  neglect.

• What makes a good statement?

Good statement a fact-based opinion
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Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement
• is a complete sentence (subject verb).
• informs your reader what your literary analysis
  is going to be about. (Include the authors name
  and title as well)
• is the last sentence of the introduction
  paragraph.
• is an analysis or opinion that you (the writer)
  are going to support or prove.

How does your character develop from the
beginning to the end of the story? How does your
character interact with other characters? How
does your character advance the plot or develop
theme?
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Thesis Statement Examples

• Example thesis statements
• In his story Little Red Riding Hood, Charles
  Perrault creates a title character who is
  reckless.
• In his story, The Scarlet Ibis set in coastal
  Carolina around the time of the first World War,
  James Hurst tells the story of a brother who
  discovers that no human emotion is entirely pure.
• Where does a thesis statement belong inyour
  literary analysis?

Thesis
Your thesis is an opinion about the personality
or purpose of the character within the story.
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Character Analysis Overview Graphic Organizer

• Each shape represents one paragraph
• are the introduction and conclusion
• are the body paragraphs (3 minimum)

Introduction
Body paragraphs
Conclusion
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Introduction

• An introduction paragraph for a literary analysis
  should include
• Hookcatch your readers attention (more than one
  sentence)
• Restate the bigger idea you are analyzing (Mixed
  Emotions)
• Author , Story Title and setting
• Character and his/her Action
• Thesis statement (last sentence)
• (H. RATS CAT)

Note it!
Begins broad
Ends with (narrow) thesis statement
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Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement
• is a complete sentence (subject verb).
• informs your reader what your literary analysis
  is going to be about. Best tip Include the
  author, title, and setting in the thesis
  statement.
• is the last sentence of the introduction
  paragraph.
• is an analysis or opinion that you (the writer)
  are going to support or prove.

How does your character develop from the
beginning to the end of the story? How does your
character interact with other characters? How
does your character advance the plot or develop
theme?
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Whats next?

• Once you have a thesis statement, the remainder
  of your character analysis is going to be focused
  on supporting your thesis statement.
• You will support your thesis statement using
  information from the storyJust Lather, Thats
  All.

Each body paragraph should support your thesis
statement.
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Topic Sentences

• Each of your body paragraphs (minimum of three)
  must support your thesis statement.
• Each of your body paragraphs must begin with a
  topic sentence.
• A topic sentence supports the thesis and includes
  the main point of the paragraph.

2nd point to support your thesis
1st point to support your thesis
3rd point to support your thesis
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Thesis and Topic Sentences Examples

• Thesis Statement
• Little Red Riding Hood is reckless.
• Topic Sentences
• She ignores warnings about Stranger Danger.
• She approaches a wild animal as if he were a
  potential friend.
• Once she recognizes that her grandmother is a
  wolf, she sticks around to ask questionsjust to
  make sure.

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Thesis and Topic Sentences Examples

• Thesis Statement
• Little Red Riding Hood is the third of three
  generations of fools.
• Topic Sentences
• Little Red Riding Hood makes several foolish
  decisions on her way to Grandmas.
• Littles mother is no more wise in the way she
  counsels her daughter.
• Its easy to see that this generational trait
  probably began with Grandma.

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Body Paragraphs

• Using Textual Evidence to Prove It

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Supporting Evidence

• In order to support your thesis statement and
  topic sentences, you will use textual evidence or
  quotes from your text.
• A quote can be any written words from the text.
  
• A quote does not have to be a character
  speaking (dialogue).
• A quote should support your topic sentence.

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Quotes

• When directly quoting the text, you must
• Use quotation marks to signify words that are
  not your own.
• Include the page number (in parentheses) of where
  you found the quote
• The page number is part of the sentence
  therefore, the period is after the parentheses.
• Example Her mother admits that the woods are a
  dangerous place, yet still sends Little Red
  Riding Hood off with a cautionary Dont talk to
  strangers (1).
• BUT, if you summarize, dont use quotation marks,
  just include the page number
• Example Instead of fleeing at the first sight of
  the wolf in her grandmothers house, Little Red
  Riding Hood asks a series of questions to clarify
  that the wolf is indeed not her grandmother (3).

Note it!
Note it!
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Plopping Quotes

• No plopping!
• A quote should not just be plopped into a
  paragraph.
• A quote should be combined with two pieces of
  background information to form a complete
  sentence
• Who
• When
• Quote who when complete quote sentence

Note it!
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Plopping Quotes

• A quote should fit naturally into your writing
  and support the topic sentence.
• Topic Sentence 1 Little RRH ignores warnings
  about stranger danger.
• Quote to support "Don't dawdle along the way and
  please don't talk to strangers! (1).
• Remember No Plopping!

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Example of plopping

• Little RRH ignores warnings about Stranger
  Danger. "Don't dawdle along the way and please
  don't talk to strangers! (1). But sure enough,
  she takes her time and talks to the first wolf
  she sees.
• The use of this quote is an example of plopping
  and what not to do. Why?

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Example Non-plopped Evidence

• Little Red Riding Hood is a victim of parental
  neglect. Her mother admits that the woods are a
  dangerous place, yet still sends Little Red
  Riding Hood off with a cautionary Dont talk to
  strangers (1). Her mother has also been
  negligent in teaching Little Red Riding Hood how
  dangerous wild animals can be. When she
  encounters the wolf in the woods for the first
  time, Little Red Riding Hood is polite, thinking
  that no harm will befall her, and answers his
  questions instead of having the proper fear of
  the carnivorous, forest-dwelling animal (2).
  Little Red Riding Hoods parents have also done
  her a disservice in not curbing her intense
  curiosity. Instead of fleeing at the first sight
  of the wolf in her grandmothers house, Little
  Red Riding Hood asks a series of questions to
  clarify that the wolf is indeed not her
  grandmother (3), putting herself in a very
  precarious situation.

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Conclusion

• A conclusion should include
• Thesis statementrestated
• A connection to the hookrestated
• Restated means to state again using different
  words
• A conclusion should not include
• Any new information
• Any repeated, word-for-word, sentences

Note it!
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OrganizationJust Do ItBTW How will we organize
this essay?

• Introduction
• Hook
• Author and Title
• Brief Summary
• Thesis
• Body
• Topic Sentence
• Textual Support
• Commentary
• Topic Sentence
• Textual Support
• Commentary
• Topic Sentence
• Textual Support
• Commentary
• Conclusion
• Restatement of thesis
• Tie back to the hook

Note one!
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Title

• When you give your essay a title, remember
• There is no punctuation/font funkiness
• It should be interesting and convey meaning
• Character Analysis and The Scarlet Ibis are
  bad titles

Note it!
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