Character Sketch Essay

Is there a member of your family Is there a member of your family

whom you wish you were not related whom you wish you were not related

to?to?

Gayla S. Keesee, Education Specialist

Paine College, Augusta, GA Mack Gipson, Jr. Tutorial & Enrichment Center rev. 9/2007

Writing about a characterWriting about a character

• Writing about a character, whether fictional or real, involves noting and analyzing the person’s – personality– actions– values– motives

Writing about a characterWriting about a character

• Personality traits• Actions• Choices• Speech• Comments about others• Physical appearance

Personality traitsPersonality traits

• Mannerisms, characteristics, features that reveal one’s personality– curious, brave, cold, loving, aggressive,

open-minded, overbearing, sneaky, naïve…

• Personality traits are also qualities that make us find people likeable, lovable, etc.

ActionsActions

• “Actions speak louder than words.”

• Motivated by attitudes and values

ChoicesChoices

• We make judgments about people based on the choices they make every day.

• The choices people make regarding how they deal with obstacles, resolve conflicts, or overcome difficulties reveal character strengths or weaknesses.

SpeechSpeech

• What he/she says• How he/she says it

– He/she is unhappy, selfish, sarcastic, or domineering, uneducated…

• Choice of words – information about person’s age,

education, culture, and values.

Comments about othersComments about others

• What people say about others often reveals important information about them as well. – How judgmental are they?

– How supportive?

A character’s thoughts & A character’s thoughts & feelingsfeelings

• “A penny for your thoughts”

• Reveal information about themselves—motives and qualities.– love, hate, fear, revenge, etc.

• Think about how a person’s body language shows how he/she is thinking/feeling

A character’s pastA character’s past• Setting of one’s upbringing is

important; we are the products of our early environment.

• Significant past experiences influence who we are and shape our personalities.

• Family background may also be important as it reveals values and traditions that are passed on from generation to generation.

A character’s appearance & nameA character’s appearance & name

• Physical appearance is important if it brings out a person’s unique personality qualities, culture, traditions, or influences.– His warm green eyes lead me

right to his soul.

• A name is often significant as it may reveal information about one’s family background, tradition, influences, or personality traits.

The Character Sketch EssayThe Character Sketch Essay

OrganizationOrganization

IntroductionIntroduction

• Introduce the character in a creative way.– Take the reader to the time and setting where

you met your character.– Begin with a colorful illustration.– Broad to specific (family/relatives to specific

relative)

• Share why this individual is significant enough to you to write about. (Thesis)– Why you wish you were not related– Introduce major personality characteristics to

be developed and supported in the body.

BodyBody

• Develop and support each personality trait you mentioned in the introduction.

• Provide incidents, actions, and behaviors to support your character’s qualities.

• Make sure you develop at least one full paragraph per personality trait.

What to watch for. . .What to watch for. . .

• Do not just tell what a person is like; show qualities through the use of incidents.

• Do not describe a story or event that you experienced with someone without drawing some conclusion about your character.

• Avoid developing points about a character that you did not list in the introduction.

ConclusionConclusion

• Tell the reader why you are writing about this “terrible” human being.

• Consider discussing why this individual is significant to you—if at all.

• You may want to share how this person has influenced you—positively or negatively.

Key Points:Key Points:

• Introduction– Be creative; discuss significance of individual– Provide time and setting of original meeting– Begin with a colorful illustration

• Body– Touch on physical appearance, if important– Develop each personality characteristic– Show; don’t tell!

• Conclusion– Discuss why this individual is significant to

you

Now it’s your turn!

Fold your paper into four squares.

Darken in the lines.

To begin…

Write your basic thesis statement above the line in the middle to remind you of what you will be proving.

I wish I were not related to my Uncle Harry.

I wish I were not related to my Uncle Harry.

Now we have to answer the question—Why?

Provide reasons, examples, incidents, facts/statistics to support our thesis.

Disagreeable

Loud

Overbearing

Basic Thesis Statement (because) + the three reasons, examples, facts, or incidents in Box 1 of each section

I wish I were not related to my Uncle Harry because he is loud, overbearing, and disagreeable.

I wish I were not related to my Uncle Harry.

Disagreeable

Loud- Always yelling at people

- Voice grates on everyone’s nerves

- Dog even covers ears

Overbearing

I wish I were not related to my Uncle Harry.

Now we need to clarify what we mean by each reason.

In other words, why/how is Uncle Harry loud, overbearing, and disagreeable?

Paint a picture with wordsPaint a picture with words

I wish I were not related to my Uncle Harry.

DisagreeableOverbearing

Be Specific! Paint a Picture with Words

Names, dates, numbers, colors, sensory details, comparisons, vivid verbs

Loud- Bellows when speaks

-Not know how to whisper-Voice carries throughout the house-Sounds like Mack truck horn--blaring

- Voice grates on everyone’s nerves-Brother Warren scrunches face-Son David index fingers in ears-Sister Gena whispers, “Shush”

- Dog even irritated-Paws cover ears-Slinks into living room-Crouches under sofa

Last Thanksgiving, Uncle Harry came in late—everyone already seated…

Transition WordsConnect Paragraphs

• First

• Next

• Not only…but also

• Most importantly

• In summary

Connect Ideas Within the Paragraphs• Also, in addition

• For example

• After, late at night, as, final

I wish I were not related to my Uncle Harry.

Topic Sentences:

• First, I wish my Uncle Harry and I were not related because he bellows and roars constantly.

• Not only is Uncle Harry loud, but he is also officious and domineering.

• Finally, Uncle Harry’s negative and judgmental attitude makes me want to run in the other direction.

• In summary, I cannot think of another person that irritates and provokes me as much as my Uncle Harry.