Use this activity to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Character Analysis”

In this activity, students will select a character from the novel to create a character analysis based on text details. 

Select a character from the novel to develop a character analysis. Create a graphic organizer listing direct and indirect character traits from the novel, then explain how those character traits contribute to the character’s interactions and motives in the novel.

• Choose a character from the novel.
• Create a graphic organizer listing character traits that are implied and those that are explicitly stated in the text.
• Explore the novel’s themes of The Nature-Human Continuum, The Dangers of the White Man’s World, and Virtue and how each of these themes contributes to the character analysis.
• Develop a written analysis of the character traits and how those traits motivate, inspire, and impact the character. Support the analysis with quotes in which the author reveals trait about the characters, either through description (such as Chapter 1’s “He’d grown comfortable with aloneness,” describing Frank) or dialogue (such as Chapter 7’s “We were just half-breeds,” Eldon’s self-description).
• Conclude your written analysis by explaining the character’s personal growth and changes to the character’s perspective.

Share your character analysis with others, comparing interpretations from the novel to justify your perspective.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may benefit from discussing direct and indirect character traits in small groups prior to creating their graphic organizer. Consider encouraging students to explore character emotions, interactions, description, dialogue, and mannerisms that comprise character traits.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who require an additional challenge may wish to explore how choices and mentality impact the successes and failures of the characters in the novel. Students may benefit from conducting additional research—for instance, into the psychology of self-talk—to support their analysis of what makes the characters successful or less successful.