What do you think your character’s ideologies are? What are his/her opinions about the other characters? Are certain words or expressions unique to that particular character?
To Kill a Mockingbird
Narrative Test
Objective: Retell a scene from a different person’s point of view. Write creatively and accurately to express details from the given scene and expressions consistent with your character’s personality.
SELECT ONE:. Use your notes and re-read content as needed.
● Scout’s first day at school – Ch. 2 (and beg. 3)
● Walter eats at the Finch house -Ch 2
● Jem loses (and finds) his pants -Ch 6 (and beg. 7)
● Knothole gets filled with cement – Ch. 7
● Miss Maudie’s house fire – Ch. 8
● Atticus shoots Tim Johnson – Ch.10
● Jem reads to Mrs. DeBose -Ch. 11
● Calpernia takes the children to church. -Ch.12
Character: When selecting your character, make sure to determine who else is there and/or who would have heard about the event.
● Do not pick SCOUT. Choose a meaningful character.
● Make sure that what you write is consistent with the plot and with the character’s point of view you have assumed; this includes
○ The“dialect” or voice of the character.
○ Their feelings or emotional responses to the action/events.
○ Their opinions and beliefs.
TIP: Zoom in on specific moments from the selected scene to feature in your narrative. Skip or cut superfluous information. Reread and use your notes.
Criteria:
● 2-3 pages MLA formatted (1.5 or double spacing)
● 1st Person Point of view is consistent with the character
● Dialect of character is captured; language is appropriate to the voice, vocabulary, and grammatical conventions of the character
● Plot events are discussed accurately
● Organization of the narrative is clear and focused; paragraphs have a chronological beginning, middle, and end consistent with the novel.
● GUMS: Minimal grammatical, mechanical, and spelling errors Requirements:Narrative title MUST be your character’s name and the scene you are rewriting. EX: Chapter 2 School from Burris Ewell’s Point of View
Helpful Hints:
● Do not make up events that did not occur in the text.
● Be descriptive and use dialogue carefully.
○ You may reenact conversations among characters either by narrative (telling what was said), or by CITING those specific conversations, if your character was present to hear them. If you directly quote the dialogue, please cite the page
number.
● AVOID TOO MUCH PLOT SUMMARY: Lean into the emotional responses of your character. Really get into his/her mind regarding how he/she views others. This requires your inference based on your knowledge of the text and the character. This is where you CAN elaborate creatively.
○ For example, if writing from Atticus’ POV when he shoots Tim Johnson, you can certainly include what he is thinking, feeling, etc. Or, if you assume Burris Ewell’s character, you should include what he is thinking or feeling when he
confronts Ms. Fisher.
● Retelling Chapter 10 from Tim Johnson’s point of view is a bad idea.
NARRATIVE PREWRITING
After you have selected your scene and your character, think about the following details to help you have a full understanding of your character.
Personality: Consider his/her emotional state throughout the scene.
Beliefs: What do you think your character’s ideologies are? What are his/her opinions about the other characters?
Speech: Find examples of dialect and break each down for its use of diction, syntax, tone, etc.
Are certain words or expressions unique to that particular character?
Actions: Write down specific things your character does during these chapters.
Plot: Write down a few key plot events that your character witnesses during these chapters and how he/she might respond in his/her thoughts.
