The Mind Map,
or If we could take a look inside your character's
head, what would we see?
You will be creating a mind map -- a visual and written portrait
illustrating several aspects of your character's interior life
within the literary work.
I have a few suggestions for filling up the space within your
character's head, but feel free to come up with your own creations.
As always, the choices you make should be based on the text.
You should defend your choices in written form in a paragraph
explaining why you designed your mind map the way you did. Above
all, your choices should be creative, analytical, and accurate.
Mind Map Requirements
Although I expect your mind map to contain additional dimensions,
your portrait must contain:
- References to both the character's stable personality traits
and change in the work
- Visual symbols
- Your character's three most important quotes (or quotes describing
the character)
Mind Map Suggestions
- Motivation and Values --.Actors often discuss a character's
objective within a work. What is the most important goal for
your character? What drives his/her thoughts and actions? This
is his/her "spine." How can you illustrate this central
objective?
- Virtues and Vices -- What are your character's most
admirable qualities? His/her worst? How can you make us visualize
them?
- Color -- Colors are often symbolic. What color(s)
do you most associate with your character? Why? How can you effectively
work these colors into your presentation?
- Symbols -- What objects can you associate with your
character that illustrate his/her essence? Are there objects
mentioned within the work itself that you could use? If not,
choose objects that especially seem to correspond with the character.
- Conflicts -- With whom or what does your character
struggle? Another character? His/her own personality and/or decisions?
Unfortunate events? Fate? How might you illustrate these conflicts?
- Mirror, Mirror -- Consider both how your character
appears to others on the surface and what you know about the
character's inner self. Do these images clash or correspond?
What does this tell you about the character?
- Changes -- How has your character changed within the
work? Trace these changes within your text and/or artwork.
- Peaks and Valleys -- Identify the high and
low points of your character's life within the work, and determine
the causes (events, characters?) and effects (mental distress,
drastic measures?) of these peaks and valleys.
Adapted from a presentation by Cindy O'Donnell-Allen.
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