Instructional Video: https://youtu.be/fNTYaSyl_0M
Choose any character(s) from the literature or film assigned so far then analyze how and why the author or
director/actor create the character(s) in the ways they do.
You can use elements from the STEAL Method for literature or Foil Character Pair idea for film or literature,
by analyzing how the author or director/actor creates and develops the character(s), and what is meaningful
about them.
While you can approach this essay in a variety of ways, choose a singular question out of the suggested
questions below to build the essay.
1. How does the character or character pair embody the theme of the work?
2. What does the character or character pair represent or symbolize within the work?
3. How does the author or director use the character or character pair to convey a cultural message?
4. How does the author or director use the character as a metaphor or symbol?
5. What is meaningful about how the character or character pair appears in the literary or cinematic work?
6. What is meaningful about how the character changes between the literature and film adaptation?
7. How does the actor portray the character in the ways they do? What is meaningful about their
performance?
8. How does the author use the STEAL method or how do the author and/or director use foil character
pairing to develop the character?
Remember, always establish clear criteria during your argumentation. You need a clear thesis to guide the essay
and argumentative topic sentences to guide each paragraph. You are essentially discussing how the character
or character pair is meaningful and significant to the work, so make sure you assert your interpretation.
The best place to begin is to review all your homework. What arguments have you made about any character?
Avoid over-summarizing! Consider that your audience has read the work, watch the film, and been exposed to
the key literary terms, so you do not need to define them.
Avoid evaluations! Avoid judging how well the author creates the character. Analyze the importance of the
character(s) to the meaning of the works.
***Numerous essays exist about these works. Avoid the temptation to plagiarize! Use close reading and
your critical thinking skills to approach your selected topic***
Grading Scale
Title Is Helpful, Informative, and Reflective of the Thesis 0 to 5 Points
