Reading a longer story: how a character changes
A character who changes is one of the strongest things in a story. To show a change, use three steps. At the start, what does the character do and say? His actions show his traits. What makes him change? Look for a turning point: an event, a piece of advice or a feeling. At the end, what does he do now, and what does that show? Give evidence from the text: Adham shouted at the start, so he was impatient; at the end he whispered, so he became patient. In your reader, The Count of Monte Cristo, read Chapter 5 on pages 32 to 35; the book’s exercises are on page 45. After you read, ask how the character is at the start of the chapter, what happens, and how he or she is at the end. We do not retell the chapter here.
| Stage | What Adham does | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| start | shouts, pulls the lead, folds his arms | impatient |
| turning point | watches his grandfather and feels ashamed | he sees a better way |
| end | speaks softly, waits, whispers | patient |
Adham wanted a dog that obeyed at once, so on the first day he shouted “Sit!” again and again. The young dog, Sukkar, only wagged her tail and ran in circles. Adham pulled the lead, folded his arms and said, “This is hopeless. I give up.” For two days he did not go near the yard. Then his grandfather sat beside Sukkar and gave her one small piece of bread each time she looked up. “Dogs learn at the speed of trust,” he said quietly. Adham watched and felt a little ashamed. The next morning he came out slowly, spoke softly and waited. Sukkar sat for the first time, and Adham gave her a piece of bread. After three weeks she sat, waited and came at the first call. Adham no longer shouted. He smiled and whispered, “Good girl.”
Think of a character from a film, a book or your own life who changed. Complete a three-row table: at the start, the turning point and at the end. For each row write one action and what it shows. Do not use a real person’s name.