The Characterization Paper
The characterization paper is the next paper we are going to focus on. Characterization is a literary device that is used to highlight and explain the details about a character in a story.For this paper, you are going to shift your thinking. Focus on how characters, other than the main character, do or do not have an impact on the story.Out of all the poems and stories we have read so far and the other ones we are going to read, look at all the other characters. In the poems, for example, “Barbie Doll,” the classmates, society, adults and peer pressure, can all be characters. In “Sonny’s Blues,” the only characters you can not write about are the narrator and Sonny. They are considered main characters, so you must look at other characters such as Grace, the little girl in the story, who has no lines but is vital to the story, Sonny’s friend, the parents, the narrator’s wife, the neighborhood, etc. These are all characters that in “Sonny’s Blues,” you can focus your paper on. Your character does not have to be a person; it can be objects, society, etc.When you pick your character, break down their importance or lack of significance in the paper. Tell me:• What does this character bring to the story?• How does this character support the main character?• What do they bring to the plot and setting?• Could the character be removed from the story?• Explain if the character could or couldn’t be removed from the story, why or why not?These are all prompt questions to help you write your paper. Be sure to add examples, quotes and paraphrase to support your points. For example, if you say, ‘The environment’ in Tupac’s “Changes” is an important character, show me where in the song, the audience would see that.Remember, your thesis should focus on responding to the prompt. Show me, in your thesis, why the character is or is not essential to the story. Be sure to read the prompt for extra details.Final points, remember to use at least 5 literary terms in your paper and please bold them.
