Wednesday, October 5, 2011

What do I write about?

Here are some of the notes you took in our first unit that will help you find a topic to write about: 

1.   In life, conflict (and how it is dealt with) causes change in a person (for better or worse). Reading and studying characters helps us tap into the pulse of humanity.  

2. Protagonist-the main character in a literary work (not necessarily good or bad, which means you have to be a careful reader!)

3. Antagonist-the person or forces who oppose or contend with the protagonist (sometimes the antagonist can be like an inner voice or an unseen force…be a careful reader!)

.     4. Unpacking a “loaded sentence

5. Noticing your protagonist’s journey: task, quest, loss of innocenceinterpret your protagonist’s emotional journey: 
  • what positive people/events impacted him/her most?
  • what negative people/events impacted him/her most?
  • how is your character different now? What did he/she learn? What did the journey accomplish?
  • extend your ideas to LIFE and humanity: what does this journey teach you about living
6. Noticing character patterns-archetypes
  • The hero-displays courage, self sacrifice and is not perfect
  •  The mentor-assists/guides the protagonist, symbolizing wisdom, knowledge, experience  
  • The shadow-creates tension in story and represents the darker side of human nature  
  • The shapeshifter-a character who keeps changing sides; can’t make up mind; represents uncertainty.
7. Theme: the statement about life that an author wants to share with the reader

8.  Cross-book inquiry: Make connections between your book and another you’ve read
    9. Setting-what aspects of the setting are significant and symbolic?

     10. Approach the book like an appreciation: what did you appreciate (or not appreciate) in your book? 




No comments:

Post a Comment