Notes on Character Analysis

What is a character analysis? A character analysis is an essay in which you discuss the personality, growth, and purpose of a character within a literary work. The thesis of the paper should include the character’s importance to the overall theme of the story Body paragraphs should maintain a clear focus on the character and his/her purpose to the story

Step 1: When analyzing a character, look at: What the character says or thinks What the character does Physical descriptions of the character What others say about the character All these things are analyzed to help reveal the purpose of the character in the story.

Step 2: Finding their purpose Great writers include characters with many similarities to their own lives. This should be discussed in your paper as well. Therefore, make sure to consider: The character’s connection to the author The character’s purpose in expressing the theme/message of the story Don’t forget to gather proof from the text to support your claims. You must include in-text citations for this essay.

Character Analysis Examples Paragraph Examples I. analyzes The Misfit's actions from Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find."              A person's actions can say many things about a person's nature. Many of the Misfit's actions show how self-righteous he is, but they also show his childlike nature. One example of the Misfit's self-righteous attitude is when the family first meets him. As he steps out of the car after his two partners in crime, he looks down on the family (O'Connor 358). His holier than thou approach to life is also prevalent as he finally steps away from his car and delicately and purposefully places his feet as he comes down the ditch towards the family (O'Connor 358). His childlike behavior is more prevalent than his big ego. Although he contemplates his every move as he hesitates, he tended to play with his gun and draw circles on the ground like he didn't know what to do (O'Connor 359). We also see his juvenile behavior in the way he jumps back at the touch of the grandmother (O'Connor 360), and when he looks like he is going to cry and his face is contorted like he can't handle the pressure of life any more (O'Connor 362). These many examples show the Misfit's need to be in control, but as the same time he doesn't seem to know how to take the initiative needed at all times. He always finds another way around the responsibility of being in charge.

Character Analysis Example Introduction and Body Paragraph Example: II. An analysis of Sammy's actions from John Updike's short story "A & P."     In a small town the words and thoughts of one person are from time to time harshly disregarded, and what the town's people believe to be more appropriate is often said instead. In John Updike's "A & P" the life of a teenage boy named Sammy evolves around what the surplus of the town wants of him. When someone shoots the breeze with him, they are essentially telling him what to do, and he never realizes it. His own actions show that other people have exceptionally controlled his entire life, and he did not ponder much for himself. His presentation of himself shows that a loving, but maybe leading, and to a certain extent controlling, mother, and even father, have brought him up to be dependent upon others and not rely on his own thoughts.           Controlled by everyone, Sammy's actions go hand in hand with what people assumed he should do or the way people said he should conduct himself. Informing him he does not want to embarrass his parents by quitting his job (Updike 16), Lengel's words show that Sammy has reasonably often been told to do something for the simple fact that his parents would prefer it that way. "I don't think you know what you're saying," his manager roars at him as if to give him a second chance on his decision to quit his job and depart the store for good (Updike 17). Sammy was hired on this job for the reason that his parents were good friends with Lengel. They pulled a couple of strings, so they could keep a better eye on him and have a hold over him even more by controlling where he worked. Lengel tells Sammy he does not want to do "this" to his parents when Sammy decides to quit (Updike 16).