Estimados Estudiantes,
Are you having fun yet? Character analysis is a great way for you to add scope and depth to your writing. Can you give us a better understanding for the people you write about? How does the subject of your research act? How do their actions affect those around them? I use the charts below to help my students dig deeper into characters they read about. I find these very charts will help in your research papers. Below, I practice with Marilyn Monroe.
|
Character Trait |
Definition of Trait |
Marilyn Monroe |
|
Internal Conflict |
A struggle within the character |
As a child, Marilyn grew up without a stable family. She didn’t know who her father was. Her mother had been committed to a mental hospital. Until she was sixteen, Marilyn bounced from one orphanage to another. She dreamed of being loved, but she didn’t really know what love was. |
|
External Conflict |
A struggle against another character, idea, organization, etc. |
At age 16, Marilyn entered an arranged marriage with a neighbor just to be free of another orphanage and another foster family. The falseness of this relationship may have affected her relationships with men for the rest of her life. She could never maintain a love relationship for any length of time |
|
Complications |
Things that the character must consider before solving or dealing with a conflict. |
As she got older, she must have become so desperate and lonely. She wanted to be loved so badly, but she didn’t know if she could ever trust a man. |
|
Climax |
A high point of the story, such as where a character must make a big decision. |
The high point of her life may have come when she transitioned from Norma Jean to Marilyn. She learned a path to becoming an independent woman through modeling and acting. She decided she could make her own decisions in life. |
|
Motivation |
Why do characters behave the way they do? |
Marilyn wanted to be a star, but in a way people would regard her as a serious artist. To reach her dreams, she worked hard at every component of the job. She was willing to do whatever it took to make it happen. |
|
Strengths |
The positive qualities and characteristics in a character. |
Marilyn’s greatest strength may have been her willingness to sacrifice. She left all three of her marriages because her husbands controlling behavior. Along the way, she gave up security for her art. This separated her from all the other beautiful Hollywood starlets. |
|
Weaknesses |
The negative qualities characteristics in a character. |
So, Marilyn’s greatest strength may have become her greatest weakness. Her relentless ambition took over her life. She took stimulants to work longer hours. She took sedatives to sleep at night. She used men, not for love, but to advance her career. Her dream of stardom eventually became a nightmare. She lost herself. |
|
Figurative Language |
Any use of metaphors and/or similes by the character. |
Marilyn was often referred to as “The Blonde Bombshell.” This metaphor may have expressed Marilyn’s impact on her public. However, it may have explained Marilyn’s nature. She knew of her family’s history of mental illness. It may have been just a matter of time before she herself would explode. |
Jay's Sample Paragraph:
Hollywood Time-Bomb
(topic sentence:) On the surface, Marilyn Monroe was always the picture of glamor, but whatever went on inside this famous Hollywood actress will always remain a mystery. As a child, Marilyn grew up without a stable family. She didn’t know who her father was. Her mother had been committed to a mental hospital. Until she was sixteen, Marilyn bounced from one orphanage to another. She dreamed of being loved, but she didn’t really know what love was. Consequently, at age 16, Marilyn entered an arranged marriage with a neighbor just to be free of another orphanage and another foster family. The falseness of this relationship may have affected her relationships with men for the rest of her life. She could never maintain a love relationship for any length of time. As she got older, she must have become so desperate and lonely. She wanted to be loved so badly, but she didn’t know if she could ever trust a man. The high point of her life may have come when she transitioned from Norma Jean to Marilyn. This came after she divorced her first husband. She learned a path to becoming an independent woman through modeling and acting. She decided she could make her own decisions in life. Marilyn wanted to be a star, but in a way people would regard her as a serious artist. To reach her dreams, she worked hard at every component of the job. She was willing to do whatever it took to make it happen. As a result, Marilyn’s greatest strength may have been her willingness to sacrifice. She left all three of her marriages because her husbands’ controlling behavior. Along the way, she gave up security for her art. This separated her from all the other beautiful Hollywood starlets. Marilyn was often referred to as “The Blonde Bombshell.” This metaphor may have expressed Marilyn’s impact on her public. However, it may have explained Marilyn’s nature. She knew of her family’s history of mental illness. It may have been just a matter of time before she herself would explode.
I hope this helps.
This is going to be great. You will see.
Paz,
JL
