Blog Post #5: Character Archetypes

Threshold Guardian

We have just reviewed character archetypes in class.

For the seven archetypes, you have highlighted the main points in the descriptions of the archetypes, found examples of the character archetypes in ancient and modern stories, applied the characteristics to a family member, and linked them to career paths. 

This week, let's examine what possible character archetypes are present in the novel(s) you have read so far.

The Shapeshifter

SELECT one of the characters you have met through reading, IDENTIFY the archetype he or she is most like,  and DESCRIBE how he/she exemplifies the qualities of that archetype.

N.B. Do NOT choose the HERO, as we will be examining and exploring this archetype in classes to follow.

If you find that the character you select shares some qualities of an archetypal character, but generally is very different from the definition you have been given, you may also wish to discuss how the character is atypical of the archetypal characteristics.

The Herald

PROVE IT:

Incorporate at least one well chosen excerpt (direct quote) from the novel to help support the ideas in your comparison.

Remember to begin your post by introducing the book source and the author by title and name, and properly citing this source following your direct quotation (Author, Title page #).

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Here are a couple of examples from last year to help you get started...

In the novel, The Gathering by Kelly Armstrong, one of the characters named Rafael is a perfect example of a shapeshifter. He can physically shift into a cougar, but he also shifts his loyalty in order to achieve what he wants. You never really know if he is telling the truth. Often he wants information from Maya, the hero. He changes his attitude and honesty to makes himself irresistible, so she will let her gaurd down and fall for him. In the beginning, Rafael is trying to be the cool guy, but to get Maya under his controls, he acts more like himself. 

Rafael could also be Maya's mentor beacuse he helps explain many of the questions she has about herself:  "Real skin-walkers, like us, go back to before Columbus 'discovered' America. It's a kind of supernatural race. We're born into a family of skin-walkers" (Armstrong, The Gathering 251).

In the novel The Perfect Cut, by Julie Burtinshaw, the protagonist's father is an example of the SHADOW.   Bryan's dad always treats Bryan and his mother badly, and he makes Bryan feel worthless  and unwanted. He makes Bryan feel like his son will never compare to his late daughter Michelle. Bryan's father is part of the reason Bryan suffers from depression, which is why he could be considered the shadow. Bryan's father is rude, cold hearted, and insensitive. His father is all around a negative person to be around, and I think this represents the shadow.

In the following excerpt, the reader has access to the mother's internal thoughts, giving insight to the effect that Bryan's dad has on him: "She reflects on how Bryan just looks down when Dad berates him, how he does exactly what he's told, even if he disagrees, how he almost believes that he is as useless as Dad intimates" (Burtinshaw 52).  

        

Blog Post #4: This Reminds Me...Making Connections

     Since the start of the year, we have been examining different motifs and patterns developed in ancient stories and how these patterns are duplicated in our contemporary storytelling. These motifs and patterns help us to connect strongly to past and present stories. We have seen this week how J.K Rowling connects and synthesizes her knowledge of ancient stories and history with details from her own life to create the fictional world of Harry Potter. The 100+ million readers of the Harry Potter series have certainly shown us that this can be a powerful connection.

This week I want you to write a blog post where you discuss a part of your novel that reminds you of something else or connects in some way to a personal experience, to what is going on in the world, or to another text (media, digital or written).

What I want you to do is make a personal, textual,
and/or worldly connection to the novel you are reading.

By discussing these connections,  you will be showing how you can synthesize (= bring together unlike or like parts to make meaning) concepts and texts.

AS PROCESS:

If you are not familiar with the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, watch this winning video made for the book as an entry for a contest.

Then watch this interview with Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief. Listen carefully for insights into the connections he has made to the reality of his own life, and then presented as fiction in his award winning novel.

NOW COMPOSE YOUR POST: 

Step 1:  To begin your entry, select a brief quotation (20-30 words) from the section of your book that connects you to some other experience. Be sure that you use "quotation marks" around the direct quotation, and that you provide a proper citation following the quote using the correct format (Author's Last Name, Title Page #) .

Step 2: In the body of your entry,  make the connection you have made clear to your readers (max 100 words). Here you are to explain with specific details the type of connection you are making to your novel. 

Step 3:  Add an image, a video or a link to text that illustrates or emphasizes the connection you have just made with your novel.  

A good introduction to posting videos is to use a video from youtube.com.   Here's how you do it. 

• On the posting  tool bar, select the director's clapboard and this will take you to the necessary page.  
• Select "From YouTube", then type in your search words.  Choose a video and then press the "select button".  This action will immediately paste the video into your post.  Voilà!

To get you started, think about how you would finish this paragraph:

The (character, event, place) reminds me of (a place, a real event, another person/character, another text, a real world situation) in the following ways . . . . 
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Here are two student samples, one with a video and one with a link to a newspaper article:

Student #1

"Reef takes a deep breath. 'I need you to stay away from the street kids who hang out at Safe Haven Unitarian Church on Eighth Avenue Southeast' '" (Aker, The Fifth Rule 5).
 

From this story of a teenage boy trying to improve his life after years of overcoming obstacles, I am seeing an excellent example of a significant character trait from real life.  In this section of the novel, I see how Reef the main character has done some bad things in his life, but he has changed over the last 10 years. He learns from the his past and tries to be a better person. In doing so, he develops the character traits of perseverance, and being kind and caring person to others.   This gives hope to teen readers who may be struggling with social issues like drug and alcohol abuse. 

I think the outcome of the character (Reef) will be a positive one because he has learned from his mistakes and he is trying to be a better person which will help in his future and in the story.  

As a text to another text connection, I picked the song "The Climb" because the song is about falling down, but it also says to never give up and to keep climbing until you get to the top.  Reef doesn't give up, even when he fails,  and he keeps climbing until he achieves his goal.

Student #2 

" Illegal Fireworks Suspected in Church Blaze: Pastor Injured

Wrightsville Beach, NC - A fire destroyed historic First Baptist Church on New Year's Eve, and investigators suspect illegal fireworks" (Sparks, The Last Song 3).

One of the main events that happens in this book is the fire that burns down the church. It connects many of the other events  that happen in the novel. Two teenage boys used illegal fireworks and were responsible for the fire. This reminds me of a newspaper article I read about two men in east Texas who were charged with intentionally setting fire to a church and were suspected in a string of similar blazes. The outbreak started with a fire set New Year's Day, which is also similar to the book because the fire in the novel was set New Years' Eve. This is one of the text - to - world connections I made while reading The Last Song.

Catching up...

We are four weeks into our blogging adventure.  This week will be a chance for you to take a moment to reevaluate your work thus far...

As you can see on the left hand side of this page, links to your blogs are now posted on our class blog.  If yours is not there, you need to see me so we can add it. 

For those of you who have not posted three blogs, use this time to catch up.  For those who have published three blogs, use this week as an opportunity to revisit your work and make some improvements.

In general, here are some suggestions for you based on the brief view I had of your blogs when adding them as links: 

• All book titles should be italicized.  i.e.   The Hunger Games 
• If you look at the rubric, you can see that proper use of language conventions will be evaluated.   Your blog posts should be written in full sentences with proper spelling, punctuation, and good word choice (specific nouns and vivid verbs). 
• If you would like a guideline of what merits a level 4, go to the page entitled "Posts:  Achieving a Level Four"  (look for the tab at the top of the home page) that has examples of Level 4 answers. 

 

• Be sure to read the instructions carefully and fulfill all the requirements.   Specifically...

          Blog Post #1:    Ensure that the quotation you chose appears under the name of your                     blog on the home page.   Instructions on how to do this are given.   Also, in addition to explaining the quotation's connection to your reading philosophy and habits, provide specific  details about your life as a reader, both now and in the early days.  

          Blog Post #2:     You are to have one paragraph giving a summary of the novel's            content; another paragraph should have a brief review.  Refer specifically to the novel as much as possible. 

          Blog Post #3:    For this post, perhaps experiment a bit with adding images like I have done on this post.   Add an image that represents your motif or your novel.   One of the requirements of the Independent Novel Study blog is to add media features like clips, images, and aesthetic elements.