Character Analysis

“Everyday Use”
by Alice Walker
Concept: Interactioin

L3-4
Learning Objectives
• 11.C6 organize and present information clearly to others
• 11.R1 understand main points in extended texts on a wide range of
familiar and unfamiliar general and curricular topics
• 11.W6 develop with minimal support coherent arguments supported
when necessary, by examples and reasons for a wide range of written
genres in familiar general and curricular topics
 Lesson Objectives Assessment Criteria

• Use graphic organisers to describe • Fill the character analysis graphic

characters organizer using the text “Everyday
• Recognise the attitude, opinion or Use”
tone of the writer • Summarise the text in 1-2
• Write arguments and supporting sentences
details • Explain how examples from the
text support the argument
Lead-in
• In what ways do the quilts hold
different meanings for Dee/Wangero
and for Maggie?

• What does Dee/Wangero plan to do

with the items that she requests?
Homework checking

Work in pairs and

compare your
answers
In paragraph 2, mark the adjectives that describe
Maggie.
QUESTION: Why does the author choose these adjectives?

CONCLUDE: What portrait of Maggie do these adjectives help paint?

Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of
the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe. She thinks her sister
has held life always in the palm of one hand, that "no" is a word the world never learned to say to her.

The author chooses these adjectives to contrast Maggie's life experience and self-perception with her sister's.
The adjectives depict Maggie as someone who feels out of place, overshadowed by her sister, and carries both
emotional and physical scars. These specific words emphasize the depth of Maggie's insecurities.
The words used paint Maggie as someone who feels overshadowed and less confident, especially when
compared to her seemingly successful sister.
In paragraph 14, mark Maggie's response to Dee's
declaration about never bringing friends to Mama's house.
QUESTION: What is surprising about this response?
CONCLUDE: What might this response signal to readers?

It's surprising because Maggie questions whether Dee, who acts very
confident, ever had friends at all.
Maggie's question shows that Dee might not be as popular or
important as she claims. It suggests Dee might be hiding some
insecurities.
In paragraph 20, mark sentence fragments groups of words
punctuated as sentences that do not contain both a subject and a
verb.

QUESTION: Why does the author use fragments in this description?

CONCLUDE: How does the use of fragments add to the drama or tension of the
moment?
Dee next.
A dress down to the ground, in this hot weather.
A dress so loud it hurts my eyes.
Earrings gold, too, and hanging down to her shoulders.
The author uses short phrases to give quick and clear pictures of Dee's appearance.
They make the description feel more immediate and dramatic, like we're quickly
noticing things with the narrator.
In paragraph 55, mark details that describe the
fabrics used in the quilts.
QUESTION: Why does the author include this information?
CONCLUDE: How does this information affect your sympathies?

• They had been pieced by Grandma Dee.

• One was in the Lone Star pattern. The other was Walk Around the Mountain.
• In both of them were scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had worn fifty and more years ago.
• Bits and pieces of Grandpa Jattell's Paisley shirts.
• One teeny faded blue piece from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the Civil War.

The author shows that the quilts have deep family history and memories.
Knowing the quilts' history makes them seem more valuable and meaningful, which might make readers feel
more for Maggie and Mama, who value family memories.
In paragraph 76, mark the sentences in which
Mama expresses Maggie's feelings and thoughts.
QUESTION: Why does the author choose to have Mama express
Maggie's feelings?
CONCLUDE: How does this choice emphasize differences in Mama's
relationships with her two daughters?

The author lets Mama tell us how Maggie feels because Mama knows
Maggie really well.
Mama's understanding of Maggie shows they are close. This is different
from her relationship with Dee, which isn't as close.
Find these words in the text
Write the definition of the words given
Write synonyms of each word

to move sideways or
slide, edge.
obliquely.
walk by dragging feet. drag, scuffle.

sneaky or secretive. sly, stealthy.

bend down in fear. cringe, shrink.

not smooth or graceful. clumsy, uncomfortable.

looking guilty or ashamed. guilty, ashamed.

Think…
How do the concept vocabulary words
help you understand why Mama and
Dee/Wangero have different attitudes
toward Maggie?

These words show Maggie as shy and not confident, especially

when Dee is around. Mama notices this and feels protective of
Maggie, while Dee seems to look down on her.
Identify other strong descriptive words in the text that paint a
clear picture of Maggie, Dee/Wangero’s, and Mama’s
personalities?
 How would the story
“Everyday Use” be different
if another character was the
narrator?
What information and insight
would the reader gain or lose?

How might the tone change?

Lesson 2
Character Analysis Paragraph
Choose a character. Use this
questions to justify your choice
• Who are you most interested in
writing about and why?
• In what ways do you relate or not
relate to this character?
• What lessons can you learn from this
character that you can apply to your
life?
• How does the writer present this
character?
Move into groups based on your character
Generate some claims about your characters.
Write 3-5 claims

Example: Birling is a foolish individual who is out of touch with

society.
Evidence
select one claim that you will focus on
find two pieces of evidence to support this claim

• Example:
Eric: What about war?
Birling: Glad you mentioned it, Eric. I'm coming to that. Just because the kaiser
makes a speech or two, or a few German officers have too much to drink and
begin taking nonsense, you'll hear some people say that war's inevitable. And
to that I say – fiddlesticks! The germans don't want war…
Pair work
• Put the sentences in the correct order
In the opening of An Inspector Calls, Priestley presents Birling as a foolish individual who is out
of touch with society.
In response to Eric’s question about war, Birling describes the idea that war is going to break out
as ‘fiddlesticks’.
The audience knows that the First World War occurred just after the play was set, and that less
than thirty years later, the Second World War broke out, so this use of dramatic irony highlights
how out of the loop Birling is.
Moreover, his use of the word ‘fiddlesticks’ suggests that Mr Birling does not have much respect
for the view that war might break out.
He is so certain in his beliefs that he dismisses the idea without real consideration, saying it is
nonsense.
This makes his character seem even more foolish.
Structure
• Claim
• Placement of evidence in the context of the story
• Evidence (Which quotation supports your claim? Include a brief
explanation of what is happening in this section of the text)
• Analysis (How does the evidence prove the claim?)
• Zoom (Which word or phrase can you zoom in on to analyse in depth? It
needs to be from the evidence)
• Link to context (Why have you chosen to zoom in on this word or
phrase? How does it reinforce your claim? )
Writing
• In [“Name of the Story”], [Author’s name] presents [insert character name]
as [insert claim]
• When [insert when/what occurs], [insert character name] states [insert
quotation]
• This quotation suggests [insert character name] is [restate claim] because. . .
• The use of [word/phrase – select a phrase to zoom in on] reinforces this idea
because. . .
• This interpretation is reinforced by [insert an additional piece of evidence if
using, and analyse]. . .
Homework
Finish your paragraphs
Did you mention the story's name, author,
character, and a claim about that character?
Did you describe a specific event?
Did you include a direct quote from the character?
Did you explain what the quote reveals about the
character?
Did you highlight a specific word or phrase from
the quote for deeper analysis?
Did you add an extra piece of evidence to back
your claim?
Did you analyze this added evidence?
Is your paragraph easy to follow?