Character Analysis

Goals for this First Draft * Write an analysis of one character from the play, A Raisin in the Sun * Use a selection from the dramatic elements that we have studied during Week 8 Drama – Readings & Video for Tuesday * Create a well-organized essay (overall structure) * Create paragraphs that support the thesis statement about this character * Write coherent, well-developed sentences that support both the thesis statement and the goal of each paragraph * Use quotes from the play and in-text citations * Create a Works Cited list What is a Character Analysis? A character analysis is a detailed evaluation of a character. Writing a character analysis is an effective way to make sense of, and then offer some conclusions about, the significance of the character. A character analysis considers the elements of characterization that we discussed during Week 8 Drama – Tuesday Live Session Agenda and recorded by posting notes in Post your notes. This means that all of the other dramatic categories contribute to your analysis of the character: character; plot and structure; stages, sets, and setting (specifically, the classical unities); tone, language, and symbol.  A character analysis might considers the following question: * How does your character evolve over the course of A Raisin in the Sun? * How is that evolution significant to the play’s theme? * How might it help to define this play’s particular version of oppression, dreams, or other themes? * Writing the Analysis Draft Your analysis should consist of: * Brief introduction (mention author and title of play) * Thesis statement (at the conclusion of the brief introductory paragraph) * Body paragraphs that support the thesis statement but do not perform a chronological analysis (each paragraph should reference different parts of the play; do not create paragraphs that deal only with a single dramatic element) * Very brief concluding paragraph (that does not repeat the introduction) It’s important that your thesis statement is an argument (a claim that is debatable) about the character overall and is not merely a statement about dramatic elements. The body paragraphs in support of the argument will incorporate a variety of dramatic elements in order to analyze the character’s actions, language, and development. Writing Style This is a formal written assignment, which means using a formal voice. No first or second person allowed (i.e., I, you, we, our, us, you). Avoid rhetorical questions or setting up your sentences as “the audience believes…” Avoid speculating on why the author wrote the play in this way. Though A Raisin in the Sun is a response to specific social and cultural historical events in U.S. culture, for our purposes this semester, we avoid mention of the historical and social context.