Character First: Where to Start with Analytical Writing
“The art of reading, in short, includes all of the same skills that are involved in the art of unaided discovery: keenness of observation, readily available memory, range of imagination, and of course, an intellect trained in analysis and reflection. The reason for this is that reading in this sense is discovery, too—although with help instead of without it.” - M. Adler, How to Read a Book
Good writing is the natural extension of good reading, yet I’ve found there can exist a disconnect between the two. Students who love to read often arrive in my class already possessing either a flippancy or a fear surrounding analytical writing—two extremes of the spectrum, neither of which are fitting. Learning to interpret a text and order our analysis around a central, sustained argument, supported by solid evidence, is (in my humble opinion) essential to the education of a person. It demands respect and attention, but it's not scary. In fact, it’s quite empowering and exciting once students realize that their ideas, insights, and interpretations matter.
There are a few parameters that first must be set, which I typically establish early in Socratic Seminars:
Interpretation is not the same thing as opinion. It is important to learn the difference between the two:
Opinion: “a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.” (key word: judgment)
Interpretation: “the method of examining and elucidating the meaning behind something.” (key word: meaning)
An interpretation should be built upon accurate & reliable evidence and an authentic quest for understanding.
Interpretation is not a black & white, right & wrong series of answers. This means that more than one interpretation can be viable, as long as each is built upon solid evidence & understanding of context. (See my video in the previous post where I explain this idea before a Socratic Seminar.)
So, where to start?
If you’ve followed my advice to engage students with STORY first, through the writing of personal narratives, possibly even bridging into analysis with the Embedded Narrative assignment, then students should be prepared to move into Character Analysis.
Why? Since we previously discussed character development (at length) with their own stories, students are equipped to use the tools they’ve already acquired when analyzing a character within a literary text. Plus, characters are compelling! No need to dive into deeper symbol or theme yet; just start with the characters.
When working on their personal narratives (and even creative short fiction), we do a Show Vs. Tell activity to develop indirect characterization using this handout:
The creative writing strategies from this character development activity provide the perfect guide for analyzing characters in stories! At the Middle School level, sometimes the acronym STEAL can be helpful, which breaks down to:
Speech - What does the character say? How do they speak?
Thoughts - What is revealed through the character’s internal thoughts?
Effect on Others - What is revealed through the character’s effect on others?
Actions - What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks - What does the character look like? Dress? What does their physicality reveal?
Now, let me show you some examples of this in action. The first is from my Middle School students last year, who wrote their Character Analysis Mini-Paper as a group activity (which went really well). Start by selecting a literary text with strong characters, which most classics have in abundance, since a meaningful character arc is essential to good story telling. We used The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Middle School Character Analysis Group Mini-Paper
Start by selecting the character you wish to analyze.
Next, consider the STEAL method for identifying indirect characterization. Try to find an example of each for your character in the form of a specific quotation.
After selecting examples, decide how you believe the author is developing the character. What is C.S. Lewis suggesting about this character through indirect characterization? Your answer to this question is your thesis statement! (The word “thesis” essentially means your main idea or claim.)
Lastly, select your favorite examples/quotations from the STEAL method. These two examples will become the evidence to support your claim.
Mini-Paper Model
Start with a simple Thesis Statement, which specifies the main idea/claim of your paper. (I’m going to use Susan as an example).
Example Thesis: C.S. Lewis uses dialogue and action to reveal that while Susan Pevensie tends to worry, she is also quick thinking and compassionate.
Body Paragraph # 1: Start with a Topic Sentence that informs readers of the first point.
Paragraph #1: Susan’s questions often reveal her worry. As the oldest girl, she takes on a motherly role, since the children are separated from their parents during the air raids of WWII. This can be seen as soon as the children enter the wardrobe and start following the robin, where she states, “I wonder if there is any point in going on … I mean, it doesn’t seem particularly safe here … What about just going home? (59). As an older child living through wartime, practical Susan knows that not every adventure is safe. This same type of worry resurfaces a bit later in the story when Susan discovers that Aslan is a lion and questions, “Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion” (80). Again readers see Susan asking questions that concern safety, revealing her tendency to worry.
Body Paragraph #2: Once again, start with a Topic Sentence that informs readers of the second point (using a different STEAL example).
Paragraph #2: Susan’s actions reveal that she is quick thinking and compassionate. It is likely that Father Christmas knew Susan would always be on the lookout, which is why he gives her the ivory horn. When she is attacked by Maugrim, she blows her horn and dashes up a tree, in the nick of time, but in her fear, she “was just going to faint” (131), which is why Peter must save her and learn to face the enemy in combat. Susan’s actions also reveal her compassionate spirit. At the end of the story, Lucy questions whether the girls should tell Edmund about Aslan’s sacrifice, but Susan quickly and decisively states that they should not tell him, explaining, “It would be too awful for him. Think how you’d feel if you were he” (180). While this moment is shown in spoken dialogue, Susan is actively convincing Lucy not to tell Edmund about the fact that Aslan died in his place, revealing her compassion.
Now, Let’s look at what the Middle School Students wrote, with a little guidance:
GROUP #1:
Thesis Statement: While Edmund starts the story selfish, C.S. Lewis reveals his character development through his brave, sacrificial actions toward the end of the story.
Paragraph #1: Edmund’s selfish actions and thoughts create turmoil among the characters. At the beginning of the story, he betrays Lucy by lying about the wardrobe, and then joins the White Witch, turning against his siblings and Aslan. Obsessed with the witch’s promises, “he thought about Turkish delight and being king and … and horrible ideas came into his head” (70). Edmund is not able to think about others or focus on what he has; instead, enchanted by the witch’s magic, he becomes fixated with what he doesn’t have.
Paragraph #2: Finally, after his private discussion with Aslan, Edmund shows growth through selfless actions. While Edmund had started caring about others when the White Witch turned the Christmas picnic party to stone, he “had got past thinking about himself after all he’d been through and after the talk he’d had” (141) with Aslan. His selflessness grows to brave, sacrificial actions when he fights in the battle. As Peter later explains, “We'd have been beaten if it hadn't been for him … And when he reached [the witch] he had the sense to bring his sword smashing down on her wand instead of trying to go for her directly" (178). In fact, this brave action almost costs Edmund his life, but Lucy’s cordial heals him.
GROUP #2:
Thesis Statement: C.S. Lewis crafts Peter Pevensie, the oldest of four children, as a protective big brother and strategic leader.
Paragraph #1: Peter respects and defends his siblings by taking responsibility for their care. This can be observed early in the novel and continues throughout the story. When the Pevensie children first enter Narnia, Peter looks to Lucy to decide whether they should follow Mr. Beaver. Even though he is clearly the leader of the group, he shows Lucy respect when he asks her, “What do you think, Lu?” (65). He does not act like a dictator; he shares his power by including his little sister in the decision making. Later in the story, when Susan is being attacked by Maugrim the wolf, Peter “rushed straight up to the monster and aimed a slash of his sword at its side,” (131) bravely defending Susan and earning his title of “Sir Peter Wolf’s-Bane.”
Paragraph #2: Peter expresses his leadership through focused actions and decisive plans. Every time the children face a new obstacle, Peter quickly starts problem solving, such as when he discovers the fate of Mr. Tumnus, and he counsels, “Couldn’t we have some stratagem? … I mean couldn’t we dress up as something, or pretend to be–oh, peddlers or anything?” (78). Only a few pages later, when he realizes that Edmund is missing, he immediately organizes a rescue plan, “We’d better divide into four search parties … and go in different directions” (84). Even though he isn’t able to follow through with these plans, his quick thinking is revealed in his call to action. His ultimate leadership skills are shown later in the story when Aslan entrusts Peter with the fate of Narnia by “explain[ing] to Peter his plan of campaign” (145) and giving him the power to lead the regiment into war against the White Witch.
Finally, let’s look at a High School Student Example using Lord of the Flies. This was an independent assignment & their first analytical paper with me. Assignment Details:
High School Character Analysis Mini-Paper
Thesis Statement Claim: Don’t worry about an introductory paragraph with this mini-paper, but clearly state your main argument/interpretation with a Thesis Statement at the top of the page. Your thesis should make a claim about the character you are analyzing that is beyond the obvious & requires evidence to prove.
Example Thesis: Jack’s insecurities and selfishness ultimately transform him into a dangerous savage.
While we all know that Jack becomes a savage, this thesis makes a claim why/how that occurs.
Paragraph #1: Open each body paragraph with a topic sentence that provides a sub-point of your claim. Within the body paragraph, you need to provide at least one direct quotation as evidence to support the topic sentence.
Example Topic Sentence #1: From the beginning of the story, Jack displays insecurity when he isn’t elected leader and fails to kill the pig.
Here is how to successfully organize a body paragraph:
Topic Sentence Claim (subpoint of thesis)
Provide context to set up quotation.
State quotation as evidence of claim.
Unpack quotation to explain how it provides evidence.
Possibly repeat
Paragraph #2: Introduce your second sub-point. Once again, you need to provide at least one piece of evidence to support your topic sentence.
Example Topic Sentence #2: While Jack claimed to kill pigs to provide meat for everyone, his actions repeatedly reveal it was only to satisfy his selfish bloodlust.
STUDENT EXAMPLE:
Piggy is Ralph’s loyal friend and advisor, though many of his contributions are thankless until the bitter end, where he becomes a martyr for the moral ideals of humanity.
Piggy’s advice and knowledge is crucial to Ralph’s becoming chief in the first place, though he is never awarded the gratitude he deserved. Soon after the plane crash, when the two first meet, they discover a large conch shell and Piggy swiftly informs Ralph of the pretty object’s usefulness: “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us—” Without Piggy’s seemingly unimportant rambling, the other boys would have remained scattered across the island, leaderless, and forced to fend for themselves.
Piggy is also the only boy on the whole island who remained undyingly loyal to Ralph and the conch shell’s authority. Even when Jack had taken the whole island under his threatening dominion, Piggy stuck by Ralph’s side and kept the hope of rescue alive with his unflinching belief in democracy and the power of the conch. As he yelled to Jack just moments before his untimely demise, “Which is better— to be a pack of painted Indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is? [...] Which is better— to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?” Piggy never lost faith in their happy ending and in Ralph’s ability to protect him no matter what darkness Jack descended into.
In the end, Piggy is the unappreciated protagonist of the story, playing an active role in many of the boys’ attempts to ward off the impending delirium.
