By Jeelu

1. CHARACTER MAPS AND
CHARACTER SKETCHES
BASED ON ENGLISH READER FOR STANDARDVIII-
PART I AND PART II
SLIDES PREPARED BY
JEELU ELSA THAMPI
I B.Ed. ENGLISH
TITUS II TEACHERS COLLEGE,
THIRUVALLA

2. Hello
students!
Are you in the habit of observing
everything around you?
What all things do you usually observe
when you get a chance to move around?
How do you generally describe things or
people you meet in your daily walks of
life?

3. HAVE YOU HEARD OF CHARACTER MAPS AND
CHARACTER SKETCHES?
• How do you differentiate between a character map and a character
sketch?
• Based on what all observations do we generally sort out the
characteristic features of what we observe?

4. CHARACTER MAPS
 A character map is a useful graphic organizer used to keep track
of characters in a story.
 Character maps contain:
o name and description,
o character traits,
o physical description and
o changes over time.

5. Example of a Character Map
Haven’t you heard of Harry Potter?
What are his main characteristic features?
You may have observed the facts that he is a wizard, an orphan with a lightning scar on his face,
studied at Hogwarts, with best friends as Ron and Hermione, defeated Voldemort etc.
Now let’s check how we represent Harry Potter in a character map in the next slide.

7. Now, let us apply character maps to some of the characters we
have already dealt with and also to some of the characters
whom we are going to get acquainted with.

8. “THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH”
The
village
blacksmith
Strong man
Large, sinewy,
brawny, hard
and rough
hands
Crisp, black
and long hair
Tanned face
Hardworking
Goes to church
on Sunday Earns money
on his own by
toiling hard
Widower with
a daughter
Loves to listen
to his
daughter’s
singing
Longs for his
wife
Has sorrows in
mind but
rejoices as life
moves forward

9. “ROSA PARKS SAT STILL”
Rosa
Parks
An ordinary
African-
American
woman
Worked in a
dress-
maker’s shop
Had a loving
family
Not envious
Mild
manners
Spoke in a
quiet, soft
voice
Obeyed the
laws of the
country
Determined
and will
powered
Stood for
fairness and
justice to all
human
beings
Known as
Mother of the
Black Civil
Rights
Movement

10. “THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE”
Nightingale
Innocent and pure
Loving
Sacrificing
Brave and selfless
Sincere
Compassionate

11. Now It’s Your Turn…
Construct character maps of the following characters:
a) The little girl (“The Light on the Hills”)
b) Miss Beam (“The School for Sympathy”)
c) Terenty (“A Day in the Country”)

12. CHARACTER SKETCH
A character sketch is not a history of the person. It gives only a brief
glimpse of the individual.
 A character sketch should include:
 the physical features (complexion, hair color, height, etc.),
 the character’s personality (Are they funny, serious, quiet, honest,
etc.?),
 his or her likes or dislikes (What you know about their preferences
and why?),
 details of the family ( siblings, family history, etc.),
 beliefs or hobbies, and
 what you like or dislike about them.

13. Harry Potter is the son of James and Lily Potter and nephew of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. At the
beginning, Harry is an unimpressive figure: skinny, sloppy, isolated from his family, the constant
victim of his cousin's bullying, and marked with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead (the result of
Voldemort's failed attempt to kill him during his infancy). After his discovery of his magical abilities
and his introduction to the wizarding world and Hogwarts, Harry begins to grow in confidence,
strength, and courage until he becomes a worthy protagonist, capable of facing off against the Dark
Lord himself. Harry is particularly affected by the deaths of his parents and much of his behavior is
informed by his loneliness and desire to avenge their wrongful deaths. Harry also distinguishes
himself with his unexcepted brilliance at Quidditch, his loyalty to his friends, and his modesty, a trait
is particularly surprising in the figure lauded as "the boy who lived" across the wizarding world. Much
of his humility can be attributed to Professor Dumbledore's decision to place him in the Dursley
household after the death of his parents, rather than force him to endure the constant attention of
the wizarding world. Because of his background, Harry often views himself as an unexceptional
character, which makes his achievements in the wizarding world all the more impressive.

14. Now, let us write the character sketches of some of the
characters we have already dealt with and also some of
the characters whom we are going to get acquainted
with.

15. “THE LIGHT ON THE HILLS”
The Little Girl
The little girl is a character from Lucy Clifford’s short story “Light on the Hills”. She had an elder brother whom
she loved with all her heart. It was out of this love, she gave her brother full of confidence through her
philosophical thoughts. She gave her brother full support in bringing up his paintings. Though small in size, she
held higher values in life. She wanted to pursue in this beautiful world, a life full of love out of which she believed
would emerge a tireless life where one would become strong and could do all kinds of things by bearing pain.
According to her, perfect love makes a person to work and to wait. When it gives a person happiness, that state is
called Heaven. After the untimely death of the little girl in her sleep, her voice continued to echo in her brother’s
mind as stirring thoughts which inspired him to produce artistically inspiring pictures which were greatly
appreciated by the audience.

16. “THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE”
Student
The student is a character in Oscar Wilde’s short story “The nightingale and
the Rose.” He was young and he had beautiful eyes. His hair was as dark as
the hyacinth blossom and his lips were as red as rose. He loved the
Professor’s daughter. But she wanted him to bring him a red rose in a
season where it was not found. The student became sorrowful and his face
was like pale ivory. He believed in true and sincere love. He was intellectual
and philosophical in his thoughts. He became sentimental when his love
was rejected by the Professor’s daughter.

17. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
Antonio
Antonio is the hero in William Shakespeare’s renowned play The Merchant of
Venice. He was a young and honest merchant in the town of Venice. He was a very
kind man. Antonio always helped the needy and troubled people. He was greatly
loved by all his fellow citizens. Bassanio was the bosom friend of Antonio for whom
he helped generously. They were one in heart. Antonio had selfless love for Bassanio
that he was ready to get killed by Shylock. He gave all his money to see his friend
married to his lover. He stands as a perfect example for a good friend in need.

18. Now It’s Your Turn…
Construct character sketches of the following characters:
i. Bassanio (The Merchant of Venice)
ii. The boy (“The Light on the Hills”)
iii. Professor’s Daughter (“The Nightingale and the Rose”)

19. THANK YOU…