KHANH LY Everyday Use Character Chart Character Chart One way authors use characterization is to develop the theme of their text As you reread “Everyday Use”, we will examine the characterization of M[.]
Character Chart One way authors use characterization is to develop the theme of their text As you reread “Everyday Use”, we will examine the characterization of Mama and Maggie, and ask, “How does this characterization advance the theme of Walker’s short story? As you discover characterization, you will want to ask yourself, “How does this relate to the theme of the text?” To help you focus on theme, write down your theme statement from the previous lesson (This is the theme statement you wrote for the quiz today.) Theme Statement: The legacy is important because it’s a connection to family, their stories, and struggles Activity One: Complete the assignment in groups of three First, in the text, highlight every description, action, and dialogue of each character in the text Each member of the group will choose a character to highlight Use the “Character Traits” document included with the lesson to help you Mama Characterization Trait Questions to consider about the trait Speech: What does the character say? How does the character speak? Mama Description of Mama’s traits Evidence from Text Note words, phrases in the text that relate to the trait Commentary Explain how the trait relates to the theme Mama is a straight person She ““You know as well as me you was named after Mama’s speech shows the story of doesn’t talk too much your aunt Dicie,”” family and their struggles in the past In Mama’s daydream, she wants “There I meet a smiling, gray, sporty man like Mama shows the way that she looks Thoughts: What is revealed through the to become beautiful and educate Johnny Carson who shakes my hand and tells me at society such as more beautiful, her daughter - Dee will be proud what a fine girl I have Then we are on the stage educated character’s private and Dee is embracing me with tears in her eyes.” thoughts and feelings? of her (paragraph 4) “I am the way my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley pancake” Trait Mama Evidence from Text Commentary Evolution: How does the character change from the beginning of the story to the end? What other characters, conflicts, or actions cause that change? Mama has a conflict with Dee, she wants Dee to be a part of the family She disagrees with Dee She supports and maintains the family’s heritage “When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet Just like when I’m in church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout.” (paragraph 76) Mama agrees with Maggie and she realizes that the family’s heritage is really important to her Actions/Motivations: What does the character do? Why does the character behave this way? Mama usually stands to Dee’s side but at this time, she stands to Maggie’s side She gave the quilts to Maggie that Dee wants But now she believes that Maggie will use and respect the heritage better than Dee “ hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open.” (paragraph 76) Mama’s actions show that she respects her family and their heritage and she wants to maintain and leave their heritage for Dee and Maggie Looks: Describe the character’s physical appearance How they look? How they dress? She is a big woman with a rough, man-working hand and she’s strong “I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands.” Her descriptions show that she has been through struggles a lot and she worked hard Maggie Characterization “ I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man.” (paragraph 5) Trait Questions to consider about the trait Speech: What does the character say? How does the character speak? Maggie Description of Maggie’s traits Evidence from Text Note words, phrases in the text that relate to the trait Commentary Explain how the trait relates to the theme Maggie rarely speaks in the In paragraph 52, it says “siad Maggie so low Maggie’s character trait would be passage, she only responds when you almost couldn’t hear her” This shows us that timid This is because she speaks her name is mentioned or mama Maggie is not like Dee, she really raises her voice rarely, seems nervous most of the text, talks to her Her voice is soft and and is soft spoken and does not raise her voice she whispers most of the time Thoughts: What is We not know any of revealed through the Maggie’s personal thoughts or character’s private feelings because the story isn't thoughts and feelings? from her point of view Effect on others: What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character? Maggie does not affect mama and Dee in a negative way, but they affect her in a negative way Dee makes Maggie feel like less of a person and mama compares Dee to Maggie in a negative way In paragraph 8, it says “Have you ever seen a Maggie’s timid personality lets lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some others easily bring her down and careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up compare her to her outgoing beautiful to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to sister him? That is the way my Maggie walks.” In paragraph 66 it says “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts” she said “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” With these two quotes we truly see how mama brings Maggie down in her physical appearance and just how little Dee thinks of Maggie sometimes Trait Actions/Motivations: What does the character do? Why does the character behave this way? Looks: Describe the character’s physical appearance How they look? How they dress? Maggie Evidence from Text Commentary Maggie allows Dee to have In paragraph 74 “She can have them, Mama,” Maggie’s timid personality allows for whatever she wants, like the she said, like somebody used to never winning her to easily give up the quilts to Dee quilts, she lets Dee have more anything, or having anything reserved for her “I because she is too nervous to actually things then her because she knows can ‘member Grandma Dee without the quilts.” stand up and say no it would just be easier that way And he’s used to it Despite how Maggie said this line to represent how she still much her mother and Dee go back looks up to her sister in a way, and she knows that and forth about the quilts, Maggie even though Dee has everything, Maggie knows steps up and lets her have it it’s just easier to give her these things Maggie’s physical appearance is In paragraph it says “ she will stand Maggie’s timid personality makes it a skinny body, darker skin, and hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the easier for mama to pick apart Maggie’s burn marks on her arms and legs burn scars down her arms and legs” physical appearance (the way her skin Mama says she walks like a dying is, the way she walks, her body) in animal In paragraph it says “Maggie says, showing comparison to Dee’s appearance just enough of her thin body” In paragraph 10, it says “Dee is lighter than Maggie” In paragraph 9, it says “Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle,” Dee Characterization Trait Questions to consider about the trait Speech: What does the character say? How does the character speak? Dee Evidence from Text Commentary Description of Dee’s traits Note words, phrases in the text that relate to the trait Explain how the trait relates to the theme Careless, demainting ““No, Mama,” she says “Not ‘Dee,’ Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo!”” (paragraph 25) This trait is related to the theme because it shows how he doesn’t care about her heritage She was careless enough to change her name and demand the quilts to take ““And who was she named after?” asked Wangero.” (paragraph 31) Thoughts: What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings? We don’t know her thoughts Evolution: How does the character change from the beginning of the story to the end? What other characters, conflicts, or actions cause that change? She doesn’t change from the beginning of the story to the end She acts the same ““She’s dead,” Wangero said “I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me.”” (paragraph 27) This shows how she doesn’t understand At the beginning, she changed her name and didn’t appreciate her heritage and now she wants the quilts that are part of their heritage just to hang them up ““Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!” she said “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.”” (paragraph 66) Actions/Motivations: What does the character do? Why does the character behave this way? She is stubborn and she wants everything for herself She is used to everything handed to her “Dee wanted nice things A yellow organdy dress to wear to her graduation from high school; black pumps to match This shows how Dee is used to having things handed to her She wants the quilts but when Mama said there fore Maggie, Dee kept fighting back until a green suit she’d made from an old suit somebody gave me.” (paragraph 12) she got her way and got the quilts.De ““Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!” she said “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.”” (paragraph 66) “Dee (Wangero) looked at me with hatred “You just will not understand The point is these quilts, these quilts!”” (paragraph 70) Looks: Describe the character’s physical appearance How they look? How they dress? Dee has a full figure and likes to wear bright colors “Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure “ (paragraph 10) “Dee next A dress down to the ground, in this hot weather A dress so loud it hurts my eyes There are yellows and oranges enough to throw back the light of the sun.” (paragraph 20) Activity Two: With your group, answer the question below She has been everything so she wears whatever she wants At the end of the story, Mama and Maggie have both changed as a result of Dee’s visit, but Dee remains unchanged How does Alice Walker’s choice not to have Dee change help Walker reveal the theme to her audience? Alice Walker shows the importance of family in the legacy through the disrespect and awareness of Dee about her family’s heritage ... she realizes that the family’s heritage is really important to her Actions/Motivations: What does the character do? Why does the character behave this way? Mama usually stands to Dee’s side but... quilts!” she said “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use. ”” (paragraph 66) Actions/Motivations: What does the character do? Why does the character behave this way? She... “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts” she said “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use. ” With these two quotes we truly see how mama brings Maggie down in her physical appearance