In this article, you will find a general guideline for developing an idea, and ensuring the layout of your essay. The following tips from Harvard graduates can effectively help in writing essay like a character analysis essay;
- It is important to understand different kinds of characters. A major character indicates main characters of the story. These characters are the ones that run the story. There can be multiple kinds of major characters including protagonists, and antagonists. A protagonist is the good guy, and the antagonist is referred to as the villain, or the bad guy. In most stories, the story revolves around the protagonist. There are several other kinds of characters as well. These include minor, dynamic, static, and foil characters. To write a good character analysis essay, the knowledge regarding different kinds of characters is highly important.
- Before you start writing a character analysis essay, you must choose a character. In some cases, you’re assigned a character by your teachers, or supervisors. Yet sometimes you need to choose a character on your own. In that case, choose a character that has a dynamic role to play in the story. It will allow you to keep the reader engaged with significant information.
- To start your character analysis essay, reading a story several times can be useful. You may think that you’ve read a story once, and it should be enough. But reading a story for the second, or third time actually enables you to see its characters in a more precise manner. When you’re reading again with a clear focus on a specific character, you can pay more attention to the details as well. While doing so, you should always consider a few things. First of all, you should consider the specific description that is provided for each character. Second, you can analyse the character in relation to other characters. Thirdly, notice build-up of the story in favour of the character, and the actions he’s responsible for.
- Taking notes while reading can be quite useful. This way you can highlight details about the character. Description of the character is important as well. Another thing that you can do while reading is to sketch the character in your mind with a specific focus towards engagement of the readers. By providing vivid examples, you’ll be able to develop a connection between your character, and the reader. Once you’re done reading, the next step is reviewing your notes, and developing an idea in your mind.
- The main idea is not the actual storyline, but rather what it represents. Every story has a main idea that can be significantly hidden in the storyline. For instance, the main idea "To kill a mocking bird" is to highlight the racial conflicts within society. Aside from that, social inequalities, and internal struggles are also noticeable aspects of a story.
- Once you’re able to perceive the main idea, you are ready to relate your character to the main theme of that story. At this stage, you need to answer a few character-related questions that serve as the base for your analysis. These aspects can be any of the following;
- Your character's age.
- Your character's occupation.
- Primary changes that your character went through.
- Your character's relations in the story.
- Your character's set of values.
- Lessons learned by your character.
Outlining all these aspects of your character is useful for when you actually start writing the analysis. Like any other essay, a character analysis essay also has three main sections, i.e. introduction, body, and conclusion. Introduction is about the purpose of your essay. It should be both meaningful, and brief. The body of an essay on the other hand entails all the aspects of your character. As you have already laid out all the details, it should be easy to write this section of the essay. The conclusion should provide a concluding analysis statement relating the character to real life. These are a few general tips for writing a character analysis essay. By following these tips, you’ll be able to write a good analysis that is both concise, and one which follows an effective essay structure as well.