Our character theory is called the past. The past is about multiple characters'
having a “life” before the story starts. The main characters’ past traits
influence the present plotline.
Some evidence that shows how a character has a past before that present plotline
starts is when we read different short stories such as in, “Thirteen and a
Half,” “Squid Girl,” and “In Your Hat.”:
Thirteen and a Half by Rachel Vail:
"All I knew about Ashley before I went over there yesterday, was that until this year
she went to private school and now she sits next to me in math." (75). Shows
that Ashley and the Narrator have both had a past before the story.
Squid Girl by Todd Strasser:
- "...last time you and Mr. Nature Man went star-watching, you actually got to see a flaming orange fireball streak across the black sky, and it was awesome cool." This shows that before the story takes place, Sierra had a life -- she was a living person, and the story didn't start on the day she was born.
-"Because it's spring vacation and your tree- hugging organic- fruit- and- nut- case
parents have dragged you across several boring time zones via two airplanes, one
smelly boast, and a tooth- loosening Jeep ride so that the tree of the can spend
a week squeezed into a mosquito- filled tent on this warm, moist, lush, green,
tropical bug- infested island." This quote shows how Sierra had former vacation
experiences with her parents. That also shows how a new part of her "life"
started before this new event of her vacation story started.
-"Because it's spring vacation and your tree- hugging organic- fruit- and- nut- case
parents have dragged you across several boring time zones via two airplanes, one
smelly boast, and a tooth- loosening Jeep ride so that the tree of the can spend
a week squeezed into a mosquito- filled tent on this warm, moist, lush, green,
tropical bug- infested island." This quote shows how Sierra had former vacation
experiences with her parents. That also shows how a new part of her "life"
started before this new event of her vacation story started.
In Your Hat by Ellen Conford:
- "Why tell Ariel that after four years of handing in the same book report that I'd
written in seventh grade, the book report cops had finally caught up with
me?"(13). This shows that there was a past for this character before the story
started. Dennis has been lazy before the story started. We found out about his
past when the story started, but the author already knew that Dennis would be
like this.
having a “life” before the story starts. The main characters’ past traits
influence the present plotline.
Some evidence that shows how a character has a past before that present plotline
starts is when we read different short stories such as in, “Thirteen and a
Half,” “Squid Girl,” and “In Your Hat.”:
Thirteen and a Half by Rachel Vail:
"All I knew about Ashley before I went over there yesterday, was that until this year
she went to private school and now she sits next to me in math." (75). Shows
that Ashley and the Narrator have both had a past before the story.
Squid Girl by Todd Strasser:
- "...last time you and Mr. Nature Man went star-watching, you actually got to see a flaming orange fireball streak across the black sky, and it was awesome cool." This shows that before the story takes place, Sierra had a life -- she was a living person, and the story didn't start on the day she was born.
-"Because it's spring vacation and your tree- hugging organic- fruit- and- nut- case
parents have dragged you across several boring time zones via two airplanes, one
smelly boast, and a tooth- loosening Jeep ride so that the tree of the can spend
a week squeezed into a mosquito- filled tent on this warm, moist, lush, green,
tropical bug- infested island." This quote shows how Sierra had former vacation
experiences with her parents. That also shows how a new part of her "life"
started before this new event of her vacation story started.
-"Because it's spring vacation and your tree- hugging organic- fruit- and- nut- case
parents have dragged you across several boring time zones via two airplanes, one
smelly boast, and a tooth- loosening Jeep ride so that the tree of the can spend
a week squeezed into a mosquito- filled tent on this warm, moist, lush, green,
tropical bug- infested island." This quote shows how Sierra had former vacation
experiences with her parents. That also shows how a new part of her "life"
started before this new event of her vacation story started.
In Your Hat by Ellen Conford:
- "Why tell Ariel that after four years of handing in the same book report that I'd
written in seventh grade, the book report cops had finally caught up with
me?"(13). This shows that there was a past for this character before the story
started. Dennis has been lazy before the story started. We found out about his
past when the story started, but the author already knew that Dennis would be
like this.