Banned BooksLiterary Terms Journal Prompts

Directions

•Over the next few classes, you will complete a series of journal entries analyzing LITERARY TERMS in your Banned Book. This PowerPoint contains ALL of the entries.

Characterization

•Describe the most important character (so far) in your book.▫What is this character’s name?▫Appearance: What does s/he look like?▫Actions: What has s/he done?▫Words: What does s/he say?▫Others: What do other characters think of

him/her?

Protagonist/Antagonist

•Protagonist: the main character in work, on whom the author focuses most of the narrative attention.

•Antagonist: the character or force against whom the protagonist struggles (if there is one).▫Who is the protagonist in your book? ▫Who is the antagonist? (If there is one.)▫What are they in conflict over? How do you

think this conflict will be resolved?

Conflict (external)

•External conflicts include man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. social force(s), man vs. supernatural force(s).▫First, describe one or two significant

external conflicts in your book. ▫Next, predict how you think the conflict will

be resolved.

Conflict (internal)

•Internal conflict is a struggle inside a character (such as drug addiction, self-destructive behavior, and so on). ▫First, describe an important internal

conflict in your book. ▫Next, predict how the conflict will be

resolved. Or, if not, why not.

Character (dynamic)

•A dynamic character is one whose personality changes or evolves over the course of the narrative or appears to have the capacity for such change.▫Identify a dynamic character in your book.▫Why is this character dynamic? Explain,

citing examples from the book, how this character has changed, or demonstrates capacity for change.

Theme

•Theme is a central idea or statement that unifies and controls an entire literary work.▫Identify one of the themes in your book.▫What does the author want you to know

about this theme? ▫List several examples (from the book) that

support your interpretation.

Theme

•…is so important we are covering it twice!•Theme is a central idea or statement that

unifies and controls a work of literature.▫Identify a SECOND theme in your book.▫What does the author want you to know

about this theme?▫List several examples (from the book) that

support your interpretation.