ENG 240: Introduction to Fiction Prairie State College Due: December 3, at 3 pm Up to 250 points Essay Exam 3: Character Analysis

The purpose of this examination is to evaluate your ability to analyze major characters based on various information exposed by the authors. You must analyze them by making clear observations that can be supported with examples from the texts in which the characters appear. For this exam, you must choose three major charactersone from a Module 7 assigned reading, one from a Module 8 assigned reading, and one from Paris Trout. What is characterization?: In literature, characterization1 is the way an author presents characters. In direct presentation, a character is described by the author, the narrator or the other characters. In indirect presentation, a character's traits are revealed by action and speech (Characterization). Through both form of characterization, a reader is able to draw conclusions and makes observations. Your exam should be composed as one cohesive five to six page essay, which must be submitted through the dropbox in D2L.

Tasks: 1. During the planning/invention process, select three major characters who are central to each literary text, whether as a protagonist, an antagonist, or otherwise. 2. For each character, construct a detailed analysis in which you make clear arguments about who you think these characters are. Also, offer specific supporting evidence from each literary text about each character based on information learned through direct and indirect characterization2. As in previous exams, you must rely on your ability to draw evidence from the texts. 3. To begin your character analysis, review the useful suggestions provided at the following blog entry, titled How to Write a Character Analysis3 for more guidance on how construct a character analysis: o o o o Title: http://www.teachingcollegeenglish.com/2009/09/02/how-to-write-a-character-analysistitles/ Introduction: http://www.teachingcollegeenglish.com/2009/08/29/how-to-write-a-characteranalysis-introduction/ Body: http://www.teachingcollegeenglish.com/2009/09/01/how-to-write-a-character-analysisbody-paragraphs/ Conclusion: http://www.teachingcollegeenglish.com/2009/09/03/how-to-write-a-characteranalysis-concluding-paragraph/

Taken from: "Characterization." Brooklyn College English Department: Literary Terms. The City University of New York, 12 Feb. 2009. Web. 02 Aug. 2011. <http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/lit_term.html>.
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Taken from: National Council of Teachers of English. "The Elements of Fiction." Read Write Think. National Council of Teachers of English, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2011. <http://rwtverio.ncte.org/materials/lit-elements/overview/index.html>.
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Taken from: Davis, Suanna H. "How to Write a Character Analysis." Weblog post. Teaching College English: The Glory and the Challenges. FeedBurner, 28 Feb. 2008. Web. 02 Aug. 2011. <http://www.teachingcollegeenglish.com/2008/02/28/how-towrite-a-character-analysis-and-a-personnel-review/>.

Exam Guidelines: For this assignment, I am only interested in your interpretations of and observations about the texts, so researched sources may not be used for this exam. Students who use outside sources, whether primary or secondary, will receive a failing grade on the exam. Although you are not allowed to use sources other than the assigned reading, you must use correctlyformatted parenthetical (in-text) citations in the body of your essay and create a correctly-formatted Works Cited page listing the assigned reading. The examination should be prepared in Word or Works and formatted using MLA style [7th edition]. A significant number of points will be deducted from essays that do not display 7 th edition MLA style correctly. This assignment must be submitted in the dropbox in Desire2Learn. Exams will not be accepted by email. All essays, essay exams, and the final comprehensive exam in English 240 will be submitted to Turnitin. Turnitin is an online plagiarism detection service. In accordance with PSC standard for academic honesty, students who plagiarize on an assignment will receive a failing grade on that assignment. More than one instance of plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the course. If you are confused about this policy, ask your professors for help. In accordance with the late policy, you may submit this assignment up to one week late, but late submissions will be subject to an 11 percent grade deduction penalty.