Characterization & Narrative Technique — Drills · Grade 11 English
Chapter: Close Reading & Literary AnalysisWhat these drills covers
By the end of Characterization & Narrative Technique you should be able to:
- I can analyze how a complex American character's contradictions develop and drive a text.
- I can explain how narrative technique — voice, an unreliable narrator, or stream of consciousness — shapes what a reader knows and believes.
2 questions, written answer, each with a worked explanation.
Vocabulary used: characterization, narrative voice, point of view, unreliable narrator, stream of consciousness, free indirect discourse.
Problem 1
Answer and explanation
Infer a character’s motives from actions, speech, thoughts, and how others respond. Distinguish what a character says from what the story gives you reason to believe. Show an actual application before considering the method recalled.
Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.
Response criteria
- Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
- Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
- Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.
Problem 2
Answer and explanation
Identify the contradiction without inventing a moral diagnosis. Her action permits an inference about attachment, but her reason for concealing it remains uncertain.
Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.
Response criteria
- Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
- Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
- Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.