EWRT 2 Class 6

In-class writing: What defines your character?

Group DiscussionsChoosing your promptFormulating a tentative thesisOutlining your essayIntroductions: Writing a directed

summary

AGENDA

How do others perceive your character?

How does your character see him or herself?

If there is a difference, what causes it?

Writing Exercise: What Defines your Character?

What makes your character who he or she is? Write out brief answers that explain or defend his or her behavior and actions. Consider these influences:

CultureFamily historyPersonal historyClass/Occupation/Assignment

Gender/SexAspirations

Write at least three questions that you would like to ask other characters in your group. For instance, you might ask why a character treats your character a certain way, or you might ask about the motivation for an action or behavior.

Choose questions that will shed light on their motivations and behavior. Try to make others question their characters’ integrity, ambition, or other motivation.When we get into groups, these questions will be the fodder for your discussion today. Jot down any discoveries you make about your character.

1. Jon Snow, Eddard Stark, Arya Stark, Prostitutes

2. Jon Snow, Samwell Tarley, Maester Aemon, Tyrion Lannister

3. Robert Baratheon, Eddard Stark , Viserys Targaryen , Khal Drogo, Daenerys Targaryen

4. Jaime Lannister, Cersei Lannister , Bran Stark

5. Daenerys Targaryen, Varys, Jorah Mormont6. Catelyn Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Prostitute,

Lysa Tully7. Bran Stark, Catelyn Stark, Maester Luwin8. Sansa Stark, Septa Mordane, Arya Stark, Catelyn Stark9. Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon,

Family Clegane, Grand Maester Pycelle, Cersei Lannister

Is he or she a minor or major character?

Does your character grow during the novel?

Does your character reflect his or her culture in a significant way?

Does your character suffer internal or external challenges that reveal his or her ethics, morals, or nature.

Could your character be read as a tragic hero?

Take a few minutes to reconsider your character. Jot down brief answers to these questions:

Think about your answers as we review the five essay prompts

TOPIC 1: Not all supporting characters play an integral role in a story; however, sometimes a minor character is so important to the novel that the theme, plot, protagonist, or antagonist would be greatly changed if that character did not exist. From A Game of Thrones, analyze a minor character that plays a significant role. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character and explain why he or she is a significant character in the work. Be sure to use specific examples and quotations to support your claims.

TOPIC 2: A dynamic character is one who changes or grows emotionally or psychologically from the beginning of the novel until end. Many novels have multiple dynamic characters. Choose one character from A Game of Thrones and write a well-developed essay in which you prove that he or she is a dynamic character. Be sure to use specific examples and quotations to support your claims.

TOPIC 3: Often a character reflects the culture of the country in which he or she lives, that is, he or she exemplifies the skills, arts, values, beliefs, and ideals of a certain people or country. From A Game of Thrones, choose a character that embodies the culture of the people he or she represents. In a well-developed essay, define the culture of one character and show how that character illustrates that culture.

TOPIC 4: Analyze a character that reveals his or her personality, ethics, morals, and nature through the challenges he or she faces. Think about the different types of conflict that exist. Conflict can be external, such as person versus person, person versus nature, or person versus society. Conflict can also be internal, for example, person versus self. How does your chosen character experience conflict during the novel? Keep in mind how conflict causes a character to change throughout the course of the story.

TOPIC 5: Aristotle's ideas about tragedy were recorded in his book of literary theory titled Poetics. In it, he has a great deal to say about the structure, purpose, and intended effect of tragedy.  His ideas have been adopted, disputed, expanded, and discussed for several centuries now. In a well-written essay, analyze a character from Game of Thrones, arguing for or against his or her status as a “tragic hero.”

Choose a prompt that fits your character

1. Analyze a minor character that plays a significant role. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character and explain why he or she is a significant character in the work.

2. Choose one character and write a well-developed essay in which you prove that he or she is a dynamic character.

3. Choose a character that embodies the culture of the people he or she represents. Define the culture of one character and show how that character illustrates that culture.

4. Analyze a character that reveals his or her personality, ethics, morals, and nature through the challenges he or she faces. How does your chosen character experience and manage conflict?

5. In a well-written essay, analyze a character, arguing for or against his or her status as a “tragic hero.”

Formulating a Tentative Thesis

Testing your Choice

Your thesis is a statement or theory that you put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.

It is also a map for your essay; that is, it tells the reader what you are suggesting and why you believe your theory is true.

But your thesis does more than help the reader. A good, clear working thesis (one that may not yet be beautiful prose but that details your plan) can help you outline your essay.

Thesis Statements

If you don’t yet know which prompt to address, responding to a couple of them by writing rough theses might help you choose.

Write out a rough thesis for at least one of the prompts: for example, if you chose topic 4, you might start with “Jon Snow reveals his personality, ethics, morals, and nature when he faces his life challenges. He struggles with both internal and external conflict: life at Winterfell, life as a bastard, life on the wall, and his struggle with honor, justice and duty. Jon changes as he confronts each of these issues, growing from an angry boy into an honorable man of the night’s watch.”

Your Working Thesis

Of course, this working thesis is in its simplest form.

You will likely change it significantly as you refine your thoughts and ideas about your character.

For example, instead of saying “Jon Snow reveals his personality, ethics, morals, and nature when he faces his life challenges,” I would likely assert what kind of personality, ethics, morals, and nature that he reveals. I might even limit my thesis to the two most fruitful categories.

The Working Thesis

The more I understand about Jon and who he is based on how he confronts his conflicts, the more specific I would make my thesis.

For now, a working thesis and a simple outline can help you see which questions you can, or want to, answer.

They can also help you develop ideas about what you will write before you launch into your project.

In other words …

Once you have your thesis (or theses written), start sketching out a working outline.

Use your thesis to determine what you will write.

As you make your outline, briefly consider which textual examples you will use as support.

Organization: A Working Outline

IntroThesisInternal Conflict

PersonalityMother/birth

EthicsJustice/fairness

MoralsStruggle with duty on

the wall Nature

Wanting to be a ranger

External ConflictLife at Winterfell

PersonalityCatelyn

EthicsDefending Samwell

Morals Nature

Direwolves

Conclusion

“Jon Snow reveals his personality, ethics, morals, and nature when he faces his life challenges. He struggles with both internal and external conflict: life at Winterfell, life as a bastard, life on the wall, and his struggle with honor, justice and duty. Jon changes as he confronts each of these issues, growing from an angry boy into an honorable man of the night’s watch.”

Introduction: The Directed Summary

How to write one!

Directed Summary• A directed summary provides readers of your

paper with the information they need to understand your argument and explanation.

• State the title and author of the literary work near the beginning of the first paragraph, perhaps in the first sentence. This is essential so that the reader knows which work you are discussing.

• Hook the reader. In the first sentences, write what is particularly interesting about the work. This thought-provoking information must also be relevant to the topic you will discuss in your essay.

• Assume that the reader is familiar with the work about which you are writing. Do not include too much plot summary in the introduction or in the rest of the essay. Do include the part of the story that will support your thesis. This might or might not include some aspect of your character description

• Use transitions throughout the introduction. Because there are so many aspects of the work that have to be included, the introduction can end up fragmented and confusing. Make sure that it makes sense on its own as a paragraph. Clearly transition from your introduction into your thesis.

• State the thesis near the end of the introduction (your introduction might be more than one paragraph). The thesis should clearly state what the essay will analyze/assert/argue and should be very specific.

Begin your directed summary.

Consider what details you must include to prepare the reader for your essay.

Try funneling your introduction, that is, narrowing your topic as you summarize the relevant parts of the story. The thesis will be the neck of the funnel and will direct the reader to your specific argument.

Read A Game of Thrones through page 600 Post #10 Post your working thesis and outline. Find evidence to support your points. Include exact quotations and citations in your outline.

Post #11 Directed summary Study Vocabulary list #3: Test next

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