Character Sketcher on Emily
Your job as Character Sketcher is to identify a character’s actions (traits) and explain or prove these traits, identify the character’s goal (which is what the character wants to do or accomplish), identify the problem and solution in the reading, and complete a sketch or illustration of the character.
You need to be aware that the character traits you will choose will be implied character traits. In other words, they are not directly stated in the passage. You really want to use descriptive words for your character traits. Try not to use words like good, bad, nice, and mean.
Sometimes the solution to your character’s problem will not be in the section of the book that you are reading. In this case, you will need to come up with a possible solution for your character’s problem.
When you begin sketching or illustrating you character, try to use any physical description from the text to help you. Your paper should look like this:
Character Traits
1. Brave line. 1 par. 1
In this part of the story Emily remembers when her brother and she were sold to another family. They had to leave their mother to work at another plantation. To get through these times she had to be brave. It would be hard growing up in an unusually place with out a mother.
2. Hard working pg. 3 par. 2
Emily is a hard working little girl. She is cleaning off the table after breakfast for the family. Emily works hard at everything she does, even when no one notices her.
3. Curious pg. 4 par. 3
She saw the brothers doing school work. Then she sees a blue book and picks if up to look in it. She is looking just to see what is inside. Then the brothers spot her and tell her that slaves can’t read. She was curious when she looks at the book.
Character Goals:
Emily’s goal is to be able to read and to get out of slavery. She wants to be free, and do things on her own.
Problem:
Emily’s problem is that she is owned by somebody else. She has to do what her master tells her. She also wants to read. It was thought that slaves were not allowed to read or to even look at books.
Solution or Possible Solution:
The only way to get out of slavery was to run away to the north. This would be a very hard task because of the slave catchers. She could learn to read by looking at the brothers books when they were asleep.