Part 1: Start
1, select a character. The character analysis homework left by the school teacher usually stipulates which character you want to analyze. But if you have to choose by yourself, remember that you can only consider the dynamic characters in the story. Flat characters are not suitable for analysis. Flat personality refers to a simple good person or a simple bad person, with only one side and no complicated motives to consider. Like you read the Gospel of Kyle? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain's classic novel, you can consider choosing Huck or Jim, the runaway slave, because they are energetic people, full of emotions and often act unexpectedly, and their actions will push the plot forward.
The Duke or King Jim I met in Arkansas were not suitable candidates, because there were few scenes in the story and they didn't show rich emotions. More importantly, they are static characters. The story needs humorous interlude, and it needs to find a way to separate Jim from Huck so that Huck can welcome it. Well, then, go to hell! At this critical moment, the duke and the king mainly play these roles.
When reading a story, keep the person you want to analyze in mind. Even if you have read this story before, you need to reread it, because reading with specific tasks can help you capture some new information. Pay attention to every appearance of this character and think about the following questions: How does the author describe it? Take The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as an example, you can think about how Huck is described as a country boy, but it is obvious that he is contradictory on some important issues with complex social influence, such as slavery and religion.
What is the relationship between the character you want to analyze and other characters? Think about the relationship between Huck and Jim, the runaway slave, at the beginning and end of the novel. Think about Huck's relationship with his alcoholic and beating father, and how this relationship has influenced his character.
How does this character's behavior promote the development of the story? Huck is the protagonist, so obviously his behavior is very important. But what is so special about Huck's behavior? In the face of the same situation, what is the difference between his coping style and others? You can talk about why Huck decided to save Jim when those people wanted to send him back to his master. Although this completely violates the education he received from childhood, he still believes that slavery is wrong.
What struggles did this role encounter? Think about how Huck grew and learned in the whole story. At first, it was easy for him to fall into a trap, such as playing dead. But then he can see through and avoid tricks, such as trying to get rid of hypocritical dukes and kings.
3. take notes. When reading for the second time, write down all the key elements to increase the depth of the protagonist. You can take notes in the sidebar of the book and underline important paragraphs. When reading, you can keep a notebook at hand, so that you can write down all the thoughts about the characters that pop up in your mind.
4. Choose a main point of view. Put all the notes related to this character together and see if you can find out the main points. This may be the core argument of your character analysis article. Think about their actions, motives, and endings. Perhaps your core argument is how this character shows the pain of a boy growing up, or the potential good nature of people. Perhaps this character proves to readers that even people who make big mistakes can and should be saved. Take The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as an example, you may focus on the hypocrisy of civilized society, because this novel is essentially a story: a boy who was brought up to support the enslavement of black people decided to treat him as a person and friend rather than a slave through getting along with Jim on the river. Huck's biological father also caught Huck and "enslaved" him, and Huck finally escaped. This is a similar situation. This also hints at Jim's road to freedom. The society generally believes that Huck's escape is just and moral, but in the eyes of small town residents, Jim has committed a felony. The main conflict of the story is implied in this contradiction.
5. Make an outline. After determining the main points, you can make an outline of all the supporting materials. Where does this role show the characteristics you summarized? Mark the words well and write down the contradictory written evidence to make this role more profound. An outline can help you organize your ideas and ensure consistency when you continue to analyze them.
The second part: Analysis of writing role.
1, write an introduction first. Remember what your core argument is, prepare an introductory paragraph and explain the role you chose and the role this role plays in the whole work. The introduction paragraph should explain the theme and core argument of your analysis, and give enough background information to make readers interested in reading.
2. Describe the appearance characteristics of the characters. Describe what the character you want to analyze looks like and say what characteristics it reflects. Be sure to quote the original work directly or report it in your own words. Think about what Huck's tattered clothes reflect. Talk about how Huck disguised himself as a man and went to town to inquire about news, and how this cross-dressing will affect the analysis of Huck's role.
3. Introduce the background of the characters. If possible, write down the details of the growth experience of the characters, and some details may need to be introduced. People's growth experience will inevitably affect people's personality and personal development, so it is necessary to introduce the growth experience of the characters. When and where was this person born and where did he grow up? What kind of education have you received? How did his past experience affect his behavior? Write about the relationship between Huck and his father, the relationship between widow Douglas and Miss Hua Zhen who adopted him. How did these people influence Huck's development? The contrast between Huck's alcoholic father and several conservative ladies who took care of him later formed an interesting social behavior map. Think about where Huck's own beliefs and actions are on this map.
4. Write the language used by this role. Analyze the language used by this character in the whole work. Did you change it from beginning to end, or did you change it halfway? Huck's language style is obviously a civilian boy, and his way of speaking often makes widow Douglas dissatisfied. He tried to follow her instructions and behave in the church, but he still made mistakes frequently. His words and deeds show that he is not as civilized as he pretends, and he is far from what the widow hopes.
5. Write about this role. Is he emotional or rational? What values does his words and deeds show? Does he have goals or ambitions? Specifically, be sure to quote the original text in the work or paraphrase it in your own words. Huck? Finn tried to abide by social norms, but in the end his behavior followed his inner feelings. Knowing that he had broken the law, he decided to rescue Jim who was sent back to his master because he believed that Jim should not be enslaved. This is Huck's own decision, which completely violates the values taught to him by society.
6. Analyze the relationship between this character and other people. Think about the relationship between this character and other people in the story. Is he a leader or a follower? Does he have close friends and family? Analyze it with the examples in the article.
7. Describe the change or growth of this character in the whole process. Most protagonists will experience contradictions in the story. Some contradictions are external, which may be caused by forces beyond his control or by the surrounding environment and people around him; Some contradictions are internal, and characters struggle with themselves emotionally or in action. Did the character finally get better or worse? Unforgettable characters in literary works usually grow or change. Huck's external contradictions focus on the experience of drifting on the river, physical difficulties, disasters encountered in the middle, repeated difficulties and traps, and so on. When Huck decided to help Jim get rid of slavery and fight for freedom, his inner contradictions reached a climax. This is a very critical moment in the story, and Huck decides to follow his heart, not social morality.
8. Collect supporting materials or evidence for analysis. Be sure to use concrete examples in the original text to support your view of this character. Quote the original text to prove your point. If the author portrays this character carelessly, you have to give concrete examples to prove that this character has this characteristic. You can directly quote the original work or report it in your own words.
Part 3: Using Parameters in Writing
1. Support your writing with written evidence. In other words, you should extract some original texts from the text you want to analyze to support your argument. Quoting the original text can increase the credibility of the author and support your argument more effectively.
2. Use the pie chart method. In other words, first put forward an idea, and then give an example. You can quote the original text and then explain how this quote proves your point. For example, you can write like this: Huck? Finn gained an important new identity by supporting the raft. He stressed: "It is really proud to be friends on such a raft." This sentence shows that he associates freedom and pride with his raft.
3. Insert the quotation in your own words. In academic papers, quotations cannot be isolated sentences. Instead, you should "wrap" the middle quotation in your own words, and the quotation should be before or after your own words. Mistake: "Being friends on such a raft is really impressive."
Correct: He emphasized: "It is really arrogant to be a man on such a raft."
Correct: "I am really proud to be friends on such a raft." Huck stressed.
4. Don't quote too much. Your own words should account for about 90% of the total length of the article, and 10% is reserved for direct quotation. Too many citations will weaken the strength of the paper and make you lazy, so the teacher is likely to give you low marks.
Tip: Write a draft first, sort out your own analysis ideas, and then polish it and give it to the teacher.
In this paper, concrete examples are used to support each point of view.
Organize the article with your heart. Write an introduction that will attract readers to continue reading. Each paragraph must revolve around a central theme. End with a strong conclusion.
The characters in the story also have shortcomings. Analyzing shortcomings can make personality analysis deeper.