Character development in life is a continual evolutionary and vital process in which we are all participants; some more actively, directly and dynamically than others. Because we bring to the reading of short stories our own intrinsic character development, we have a very read basis with which to explore the character development in the short story. Wilson Thornley writes in his book,
Short Story Writing
, “the reader intensely participates through identification and such identification and participation are imperative.”
We come to know the characters in the short story through the indirect method of 1) physical description, 2) the character’s thoughts, feelings and words, 3) the comments and reactions of others and 4) the actions of the character and the direct method of the author’s stated opinion about the character.
We believe the adolescent age of uncertainty to be an optimum time for students to utilize this stage in their development to understand the elements of the short story and use the insights gained from the analysis of such character development in the short story to better understand their own character and its development. The reading of selected short stories will engage the students’ active participation in an understanding of self; their life’s centrad character, and the others that touch their lives.
To illustrate the element of character we have chosen the story “All the Years of Her Life” by Morley Callaghan The poignant story of a boy, always in trouble who at last realizes the effects of his poor behavior on his mother.
This story can be found in the following books:
Adventures in Reading
Heritage Ed. Reading Level 9-10
Spotlight on Literature
Random House III Reading Level 4
Scope English Program
Level II Scholastic Book Service Reading Level 4-5
Reading Lesson Plan #1
Objective:
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To determine whether or not students have an understanding of “All the Years of Her Life”.
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Procedure:
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The following questions can be used to lead an oral discussion of the story. The questions can be used either by the teacher to lead the entire group or may be used by students in smaller groups.
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1. What kind of a boy is Alfred? What are some of the things Alfred did in the story to show this?
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2. Had Alfred ever been in trouble before? What are some of the things Mrs. Higgins did and said in the story that show this?
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3. Does Alfred love his mother? Give reason why you think as you do.
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4. Why do you think Alfred decided to go to the kitchen to see his mother?
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5. What did the author mean in the last paragraph when he said, “this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother”?
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Evaluation:
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Students’ understanding of the story can be determined by their participation in oral discussion.
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Reading Lesson Plan #2
Objective:
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To check students’ understanding of sequence.
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Procedure:
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Students are to rewrite the following statements in the order that they happened to Alfred.
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1. Alfred took the toothpaste, powder and lipstick.
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2. Alfred decided to go to the kitchen to see his mother.
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3. Alfred began getting into trouble.
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4. Alfred knew by Mr. Carr’s voice that something was wrong.
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5. Alfred understood his mother.
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6. Alfred quit school.
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7. Alfred emptied his pocket.
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8. Mr. Carr fires Alfred.
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Answers: 1) 6, 2) 3, 3) 1, 4) 4, 5) 7, 6) 8, 7) 2, 8) 5.
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Evaluation:
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Students correct responses to this activity.
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Writing Lesson Plan #1
Objective:
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To have students write a dialogue between characters to teach proper use of quotation marks with direct address and a quote within a quote.
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Procedure:
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1. While reading the short story, “All the Years of Her Life”, have students take note of the dialogue between characters and the proper use of quotation marks.
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2. After reading the story and discussing it, ask the students
what
they think Alfred would say to his mother if he walked into the kitchen as she drank her cup of tea and
how
he might say it.
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3. Write responses on the board using proper quotation format.
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4. Have students write in their journal a brief dialogue between Alfred and his mother.
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Evaluation:
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1. Ask students to read their dialogue to the class (students can select another student to read one of the character’s lines).
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2. Check students’ journals for proper use of quotation marks and commas and proper indentation each time a different character speaks.
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Writing Lesson Plan #2
Objective:
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To distinguish between
concrete
and
abstract
images by identifying nouns that are
concrete
and those that are
abstract
.
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Procedure:
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1. List one of the characters from “All the Years of Her Life” on the board.
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2. Under the character’s name write two columns; one labeled
concrete
and the other labeled
abstract
.
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3. Ask the students to suggest words that would describe this character and write their responses in the appropriate columns on the board.
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4. Have students copy the list from the board and add five more
concrete
descriptions and five
abstract
in their journal.
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5. Ask for volunteers to read their responses aloud.
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6. Using their journals, ask students to choose one of the other characters from the story, “All the Years of Her Life”, and follow the same procedure.
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7. Using the list they generated on their own, ask students to write a paragraph about this character including both concrete and abstract words from their list.
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8. Underline the concrete words in their description with one line and the abstract words with two lines.
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Evaluation:
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Read each students’ journal checking for appropriate concrete and abstract responses.
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Related Activities
Picture Play
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1. Show close-up pictures of people’s faces to class.
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2. Ask students to choose one face and physically describe what they see.
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wearing glasses
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moustache
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bushy eyebrows
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frown
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3. Ask the students to write words to describe
how
they think the person in the picture feels.
Drama Role Playing
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1. Act out the dialogue written in your journal between Alfred and his mother.
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2. Alfred’s father returns home from work, his mother relates what has happened at the drugstore. Have a group of three to four students write a dialogue between Alfred’s mother and his father. Have group act out dialogue for the class.
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3. Same situation as number 2 only another group of three to four students will write a dialogue between Alfred and his father. Ask this group to act out the dialogue they have written.
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4. Alfred is applying for a job as a
. At the interview Alfred is asked where he worked previously and why he left. Have a group of three to four students write a dialogue between Alfred and the person conducting the interview. Ask this group to be prepared to act out dialogue.
Sequences
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1. Have one student enter the room and perform five activities or tasks previously agreed on. (Student may open a window, write a name on the board, go to a specific locker, pull a shade, etc. The student will then take a seat. Ask the class to write what the student did in the order in which they were done.
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2. One student is to give another directions on how to perform a specific task. Class will observe if the student performs the tasks according to directions given in the order in which they were given.
Growing-up
Write the phrase Growing-up Is . . . on the board. Ask the class to complete the phrase. Write students responses on the board. Responses may be serious or humorous in nature. Ask students to generate their own list in their journal.
Character Analysis
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1. Ask students to write a description of someone in the building. Include in their description a physical description, what the person says and actions the person does. Ask students to read their description to class without mentioning names. The class should try to identify individual being described.
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2. Ask students to think of someone special in their lives. Describe this individual physically and tell different things this person does that makes them special. Have students tell how they believe this special person thinks and feels.
Vocabulary
The following terms should be familiar to the students after focusing on the element of
character
in the short story:
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Character
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Dynamic—Round
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Protagonist
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Static—Flat
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Antagonist
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Characterization
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Motive
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Concrete Words
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Dialect
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Abstract Words
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Dialogue
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Character Development
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Motive
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Action
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Vocabulary Worksheet
A person in a short story is called a
Character
. The person around whom the conflict revolves is called the
Main Character
.
Character
Development
is the change in the person from the beginning to the ending of a story. The way of showing what a character is like: The way that person looks, talks, acts or thinks is termed
Characterization
. We say the person who changes in personality or attitude is
Dynamic
or
Round
, those that remain the same are referred to as
Static
or
Flat
.
The hero of the story who is faced with a conflict is the
Protagonist
while the villain of the story, the person who causes the conflict is the
Antagonist
.
A
Motive
is the reason behind an individual’s action(s). A conversation between two or more people in the story is called a
Dialogue
. The way these individuals speak in the story if they are from different parts of the country is known as
Dialect
.
In writing about people in a short story we use
Nouns
, the part of speech that names a person, place, thing or idea. If the word names a person, place, thing or idea that can be seen, smelled, touched, tasted or heard, it is
Concrete
. If the word names an idea that cannot be seen, smelled, touched, tasted or heard, it is
Abstract
.