t he r t he o r, on been racte has not oes t cha d A fla one who e or she stic , is ali .

H hand veloped a fully re sical t de hy fully represen though p ht be not mi g r, al stics plained. acte char aracteri ex ch

ho one w re i s ee teratu (think thr y r in li ). T h e aracte oped nd ch ully devel imensional mpass A rou d o een f d enc s twohas b ional versu entities an s id dimen realistic n istics. take o x character le comp

Literature Component - Novels

CHARACTER

Dynamic vs. Static characters are often paired with the above two. Dynamic characters are those who change and develop during the unfolding of the story. They learn something, undergo something, or make changes that represents their internal struggles and overcoming them.

H.W. Beecher

Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Activity 1: CHARACTER THROUGH VARIATION

Wha specia t does you r lb about elonging s ay you a chara nd your cter?

Task Pick up an object from the basket. Imagine the owner of the object. Write notes on the owner of the object on a memo paper (e.g.:- what type of person he or she is?)

Volunteer your description of the owner by reading it out. The facilitator will then ask the real owner to confirm the description.

A character is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood. The different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances of characters can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work, such as theme, setting, and tone. With this understanding of the character, a reader can become more aware of other aspects of literature, such as symbolism, giving the reader a more complete understanding of the work. The character is one of the most important tools available to the author.

Flat characters are two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work. By contrast, round characters are complex and
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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

undergo development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise the reader. A static character (which is usually represented by your flat character) does not undergo changes and remains the same, despite perhaps, having undergone some event. A dynamic character is a major character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and is changed by it. Dynamic characters tend to be more fully developed and described. If you think of the characters you most love in fiction, they probably seem as real to you as people you know in real life.

Activity 2: SEAL YOUR THOUGHTS

Task

In groups, study the trigger given. (They are all Grandas thoughts about Rorys father.) Write a character sketch of Rorys father based on what you have read in the trigger, individually. (e.g.:-What kind of father/ son do you think Rorys father is?) Write out the description on the piece of paper provided. Insert the description into an envelope and submit it to your facilitator.

Character Imaginary by the writer people created perhaps the most impo element of lit rtant erature.

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Static characters are minor characters in a work of fiction who do not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. Also referred to as "two-dimensional characters" or "flat characters, " they play a supporting role to the main character, who as a rule should be round, or complex.

Stock characters draw from widely known cultural types for their characteristics and mannerisms, and are often used in parody. Every culture has its own set of stock characters. In Italian commedia dell'arte, for example, Scaramouche epitomized the unscrupulous and unreliable servant. In modern American culture, Thurber's Walter Mitty created the mold for the hen-pecked husband and dreamer.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_round_character_in_literature#ixzz1H1VtTK8g

Protagonist - major character at the center of the story. Antagonist - a character or force that opposes the protagonist. Static character - a character who remains the same. Dynamic character - a character who changes in some important way.

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Activity 3: DONT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

You would have now realized that it is not reliable to arrive at an accurate description of a character based on one source. In Activity 1, you drew a picture of Rorys father based on what Granda has to say about him. In Activity 2, you guessed a persons character based on what he/she owns. There are many ways to find out more about a character. For example, in Activity 1, you could form a picture of Rorys father based on what Granda says and thinks about him. In your groups, look at the different ways to know about a character. Study closely the pages assigned to you. What information can you extract about Rory?

2
Who the character is... Biographical information including age, physical description; and occupation is involved here. Questions that can be answered by these kinds of details are Who is this character? What does this person do for a living? What kind of past has this person had? What is the characters family background? and What are the characters goals? What others say to the character and what others say or think about him or her Consider the reaction of others to the character, as revealed in their speech to the person. Then consider what they may say about the character when he or she is not present, or what they may think about the character.

With what the character surrounds him or her... 3 This kind of detail can reveal a great deal. In daily life, you can categorize people by how they dress, what kind of car they drive, where they live, how neat or messy they are, and what objects are precious to them. You can consider the same Literature information when you are learning Component - Novels about fictional characters.

Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

the way an author presents characters

What the character does In a short story, all action can be significant. So whatever a character does can be crucial to the readers understanding of that character. Consider, particularly how the character acts toward others, but dont forget to examine how the character treats himself or herself and how the character achieves goals.

5 Why the character does what he or she

does... Without proper motivation (that is, a reason for actions), a characters believability can fall apart. A good story includes, however subtly, clues as to why the characters act the way they do. These clues may be found in such elements as a characters background, education, or social position, or in a characters own words. Without motivation of character, a story can lack coherence and order; it can become a mere string of incidents.

Who the character is... Biographical information including age, physical What the character says is description; and occupation Look closely at the dialogue in can involved here. Questions that the story. Consider kind of be answered by this not onlydetail whatare Who is this character? the character says, but also how he or doessays it (in dialect, a What she this person do for slang, formal English) of past has living? What kind and to whom he or she this person had? What is the says it. (Is the character characters family background? expressing the are the characters and What same feelings to different people, or is the goals? character acting as a different person with different people?)

What the character thinks Characters not only act; they think. Thought is as revealing as action. When a writer brings the reader within the characters mind, the reader has the opportunity to explore the characters needs and desires, fears and conflicts, motives and goals.

NOVEL
Group 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pages 13, 29, 30 95 13 13, 74 26 67 69, 70

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1
Activity 4: CHARACTER HOT SEATING
In this activity you will have the opportunity to ask questions to Rory and Granda about their actions, motives and feelings in novel. This activity compels you to think about the actions of the characters and to analyze their characteristics. It will help you to have a better understanding of the forces that drive the characters in this novel.
Mahatma Gandhi

the

G ATIN T SE HO

A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation. The method may be used for developing a role in the drama lesson or rehearsals, or analysing a play post-performance. Even if done without preparation, it is an excellent way of fleshing out a character. Characters may be hot-seated individually, in pairs or small groups. The technique is additionally useful for developing questioning skills with the rest of the group.

Task A One volunteer is to play the role of Rory.

Sit on the hot seat in front of the class. In groups of 5, generate questions to elicit information and opinion on their actions, motives or feelings related to the events in the novel. (Each question should seek to help understand why the characters were involved in certain actions or why they said certain things.) Take turns to ask questions to Rory
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No repeated questions are allowed.

Task B Repeat Task A. This time with another volunteer for Grandas character.

Activity 5: LIFES RELAY

Theme is the central idea or message in a literary work. It is not the subject of the work (students often get the two definitions of theme confused). It is a perception about human life. Themes are rarely stated directly. They usually must be inferred. The theme is revealed by the way characters change in a story, conflicts in the story, and statements made by the narrator or characters. Understanding themes involve understanding plot, characters, and setting.

In Catch Us If You Can, Granda describes the experiences he and Rory encounter as if participating in a relay the people they meet are described as Passing [them] like the baton in a relay race . Rory and Granda are the batons in the race to escape the police, to get to Liverpool.
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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

The table given lists the people Granda and Rory meet in the journey towards their desired freedom. Based on the description of the characters, decide whether the characters the two meet during their journey as helpful or not.

Task A

Select a blue cutout if you think the person or persons are helpful. Select a red cutout if you think the person or persons are not helpful. Write the name of the person or persons on the cutout. Now arrange the cutouts on the poster sheet to map out their journey. Summarize Grandas and Rorys experiences on the journey in one sentence. Write it on the poster sheet. Explain your theme.

People then cared about each other. Looked out for each other. Now nobody cares about anybody themselves. Its a horrible world, Rory

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Character Darren

What they did to Rory and Granda

Ruby and Sammy

Annie and Rob

Norma and Nichola

Dr. Nicol

Val Jessup

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

The man at the petrol station

Young man

ACTIVITY 6: IS IT HIM?
Task (a) Read the excerpts below. The first one tells you about what Rory thinks of his dad, Jeff McIntosh. The second one is how Jeff McIntosh describes himself. Now look at what you did in Activity 1. How do these two excerpts match the description you wrote in Activity 1? Did you paint Jeff McIntosh as a positive or negative character in Activity 1? Would you like to change your mind? Why? Why not?

Excerpt 1

Excerpt 2

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Source: MacPhail, C. (2010). Catch us if you can. Sarawak: Pearson Malaysia (Page 159, Chapter 33)

SETTING

The setting is the backdrop of a story. It can define the actions of the characters, as well as paint an inspiring canvas against which the characters relate, move, and deal with their conflicts and problems. Setting also contributes to the mood and atmosphere in the story. It gives reader clues about the emotions or feelings attached to the setting.

The setting encompasses a number of different, but linked, elements: Time - day or night; summer or winter; the historical period (an actual date) Place - inside or outside; country or city; specific town and country; real or fictional Social - status, costumes, property, family background Mood & Atmosphere - eerie; dangerous; menacing; tense; threatening; relaxing; nostalgic; happy; light-hearted

The setting of a novel is like flour in a cake: perhaps less compelling than the nuts and dried fruit, but if you forget to include flour in the recipe, you will have no cake. Literature Component - Novels (From: Watts, N. (2006). Writing a novel. UK: Hodder) )

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ACTIVITY 6 : SEEING THROUGH Task 1 Read the excerpt below. This excerpt is taken from the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Identify the elements in the settings that are illustrated in the excerpt below.

1 It was a heavy mass of building with a large stone court-yard 2 before it, and two stone sweeps of staircase meeting in a stone 3 terrace before the principal door. A stony business altogether, with 4 heavy stone balustrades, and stone urns, and stone flowers, and 5 stone faces of men, and stone heads of lions in all directions. . . 6 Other sound than an owls voice there was none, save the falling of 7 the fountain into its stone basin; for it was one of those dark nights 8 that hold their breath by the hour together, and then heave a long 9 low sigh, and hold their breath again.
From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens What is Imagery? Imagery is language that appeals to the senses (sight, hearing, sound, smell, touch). Authors use sensory words and phrases to paint pictures in a readers mind so she/he can vividly imagine what is written.13 Imagery helps create setting, establish a mood or show a character. Metaphors, similes and personifications are

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Task 2 Read the excerpt from the novel Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail. The excerpt has its lines numbered for the task below.

Task 2a In groups, highlight words or phrases that are embedded in the excerpt that describes - the place and time of the story - the imagery use use blue marker pen to highlight words or phrases that are related to place and time of the story and red marker pen for words or phrases related to imagery. based on the description of the place and time and the imagery used, state the feeling (e.g. atmosphere and mood) you think the author tried to create

Task 2b In groups, Task 3 Read the other excerpts taken from Catch Us If You Can, a novel by Catherine MacPhail. Identify the elements of setting in these excerpts. Why do you say so? Locate the evidence from the excerpts. reconstruct the setting in the excerpt by replacing the words and phrases that you have highlighted to create a different atmosphere and mood in the setting write out your new version of setting for the excerpt above in a poster sheet

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Look for words or phrases in these excerpts that help to create a strong sense of imagery in making the setting come to life.

Except 1 The caravan was luxury. Only the best for Darrens mum. There were two bedrooms and a fitted kitchen. There was a bathroom with a shower. I opened the cupboards. Just as Darren had told me, there were crammed full of tins and packets. There was tea and coffee and sugar and cereals and dried milk. Page 73, Chapter 16,

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Excerpt 2 The man took a step in front of the boy. He had a weather-beaten face, and his clothes looked scruffy a black jacket that had once belonged to a suit and pale, faded jeans. The boy seemed to be about the same age as me. His black hair was curly and his eyes bright blue in an unwashed face. Page 73, Chapter 16,

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Excerpt 3 I took one last look around the caravan. How I wished we could have stayed here. Away from the world, away from everything. Outside, it was cold and dark. Unknown. I didnt know where we were going. Anywhere, away from here. Anywhere was safer than here now. Page 78, Chapter 17

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Excerpt 4 This van was so unlike Darrens mums. Brightly covered shawls were thrown over the seats, and the lamps threw out a soft warm, orange glow. And the smell . . . it was of spices and cinnamon and garlic. It was as if we had been catapulted into another world. Page 84, Chapter 18

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___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

PLOT ACTIVITY 1 : a) Lets watch a video. What do you think of the video?
Did you know? In the year 1007, a Japanese noble woman, Murasaki Shikibu, wrote the worlds first full novel. Called The tale of Genji, it tells the story of a prince looking for love and wisdom. In its English translation it covers 54 chapters over 1000 pages of text.

b) Using the examples from the video, what do you think these terms mean? i.

STORY

ii.

PLOT
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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

iii.

NARRATIVE

c) In order to know what we are going to focus on this session, try to decode the following anagrams.

O.V.E.R.A.C.T.I.V.E

R.A.I.N

Answer: _______________________________________________________

R.E.D.U.N.D.A.N.T

L.O.N.G

P.I.T.S

N T

Answer: _______________________________________________________

Literature Component - Novels

Ananagramis a type ofword play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once. For example: Orchestra=carthorse, A decimal point=I'm a dot in place.

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ACTIVITY 2 : TYPES OF NARRATION

a) Read Excerpt A and Excerpt B on the next page. i. Excerpt A: Identify the type of narrative voice in Excerpt A and B.

Excerpt B:

ii.

What sort of knowledge does the narrator have?

Excerpt A:

Excerpt B:

iii.

In your opinion, how much knowledge does the narrator in one excerpt has compared to another?

Excerpt A:

Excerpt B:
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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

Excerpt A

Even before they reached the haunted house, the night had turned wild. The
face of the minibus driver flickered from blue to white under the lightning. Each peal of thunder made the map in Mr. Plumleys hand shiver. And the five leftover pupils from Stagfire School peered anxiously through the rain-spattered windows into the storm and the black night. There! Where? Over there. See? Up that overgrown driveway. As the driver swung the minibus into the looming hole between the wrought-iron gates, the three on the right-hand side of the bus read out the words on the peeling sign. Old Harwick Hall Absolutely private. No hawkers. No circulars. Colin, who had been so quiet the whole journey, suddenly spoke.

Extract taken from Step by Wicked Step

Excerpt B

And I knew then that shed be seeing him later, to say goodnight. Either

hed fib to Granny and say he had to go back and check on things at the caf. Or hed make some excuse to go out for a while after I was asleep. And I felt cheated, because Id only been persuaded to come to Grannys house because of him, and somehow, if he was slipping off to see Stella later, it made me sort of second-best, - Novels Literature Componentand not important as if I really didnt matter much, and might just as 20 well stayed home with Mum, where both of us would have been happier.

Extract taken from Step by Wicked Step

Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

ACTIVITY 3 : RELIABILITY OF THE NARRATIONS

a) Get into your groups.

i. ii.

Choose a well-known fairytale. Most fairytale would be written in the third person narration. Translate the fairytale that you have chosen into a first person narration while preserving the originality of the storyline. Include the details of what the character might see, feel, hear etc. Present your new fairytale to the class.

iii.

Did you know?

In the original version of "Sleeping Beauty", the prince's mother was an ogress and loved to eat children. In the original Snow White, the queen eats the heart she believed belonged to Snow White. The Brothers Grimm has written exactly 211 fairy tales. The flying carpet in one of the most enduring images in The 1001 Arabian Nights and it is affiliated with many stories, but contrary to popular belief, Aladdin never flew on the
Literature Component - Novels

magic carpet. Prince Housain in The Three Brothers is the only person to fly on the magic carpet.

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a) What do you think of the new story? How does the story change?

b) Does the story sound more reliable in the first version or in the latter version?

c) Return to the previous excerpts from Activity 2: i. ii. iii. Analyze the reliability of the excerpts. Do you think that one excerpt is more reliable than the other? Why? What are the factors that contribute to the reliability of the story?

ACTIVITY 4: READERS POINT OF VIEW - EVALUATING NARRATIVE VOICES a) Two Truths and a Lie

i. Create two personal truths and develop one lie.

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ii. Read your statements to the class and ask them to choose which of the statements is false. iii. Respond to these questions: a. What made you choose one statement as a lie over another?

b. Which statements were easy to pick as lies? Why?

c. Was it hard to lie convincingly?

d. What are the characteristics of true and false statements?

e. Read the extract below. In groups, discuss the importance of readers point of view. Share your ideas with the class.

Like many of the metaphorical terms used to describe aspects of narrative, such as focus, perspective, the term point of view comes from a way of seeing, and seeing is itself often used metaphorically to describe understanding. Recognising whose point of view is being placed in the foreground of a story gives the reader a greater sense of how the story can be understood and responded to. The term point of view has several uses, both in everyday speech and in the study of narrative. When we say something like it depends upon your point of view, we can mean, (a) it depends upon where you are positioned in the argument (i.e. are you an employer of an employee?) and (b) it depends upon your personal beliefs and values. Both of these meanings of the term can be applied when looking at its role in narrative. It refers to both where the narrative is focused at any given time and the readers responses to what is being presented. Adapted from Beard (2003), The Language of Literature

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

3. In your group, choose a chapter from Step by Wicked Step. Review the text critically and fill in the details as follows: Character: Characters point of view:

Action 1 Supporting Details (line & page)

Action 2 Supporting Details (line & page)

Action 3 Supporting Details (line & page)

Evaluation of the characters actions: Do you agree with the characters actions? Speech? Why and why not?

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

ACTIVITY 1 : PLOT STRUCTURE

When youre watching your favorite show on television whether its The Simpsons or even American Idol have you ever noticed how the story seems to unfold? First, you see where your story takes place and meet some main characters. Then, those characters encounter some kind of situation or problem that spurs them to action. Then, slowly as they start to face the problem, they encounter more and more difficulties, until finally their problem comes to a head and our hearts start pounding as we wait to see how the hero will work her way out of this dilemma. After that, and because its TV, we usually get a neat and tidy conclusion, and our hero is a winner. She has conquered her problems, and we all feel happy for her (Again, this is assuming a Hollywood ending! Sometimes the hero can and does lose). Not surprisingly, television producers didnt invent this pattern for good stories. Its actually been around as long as stories have been told. Its a pattern called plot structure. If you were to chart it, plot structure would look something like this:

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Literature for Secondary Schools, 2011

In your group, pick one story from the list of these well-known tales or any other that you are familiar with. Cinderella Goldilocks and the Three Bears Jack and the Beanstalk Little Red Riding Hood Pinocchio

a) Create a cartoon of that storys plot structure, using the chart on the next page. Go for
the basics without worrying if you forget some details.

b) Then, your group should also prepare a dramatic reenactment of the story (yes, playing
all the parts). Your reenactment should be between one and two minutes no longer! Present it to the class.

and the plot thickens.

Adapted from: http://www.meettheintroverts.com

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1. Exposition Setting (time and 2. Triggering action An event 3. Rising action Small events place) and main characters are causes the conflict to spark. build suspense and add established. complications to the initial conflict.

4. Climax The tension reaches 5. Falling action Events lead to the 6. Resolution The main conflict is its peak; this is often where the resolution of the main conflict and to finally resolved (for better or worse), conflict reaches a turning point. all smaller complications. and a theme emerges.

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Activity 2: Plot Skeleton a) In your group, select one chapter from Chapter 3 7 of the novel Step by Wicked
Step.

b) Based on the chapter you have selected, discuss the main character in that particular
chapter. Then, fill out the plot skeleton chart on the next page based on the main character.

c) Using a poster sheet, create your groups plot skeleton chart and present it to the
class.

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