Activity Overview
As students read, a storyboard can serve as a helpful character reference log. This log (also called a character map) allows students to recall relevant information about important characters. When reading a novel, small attributes and details frequently become important as the plot progresses. With character mapping, students will record this information, helping them follow along and catch the subtleties which make reading more enjoyable!
Great Expectations Characters
| Pip (Philip Pirrip) | The main protagonist, living in a small town outside of London. He grows up wanting to be a gentleman to impress the woman he loves, who is incapable of loving him in return. |
|---|---|
| Joe Gargery | A blacksmith, who is married to Pip's sister and caretaker. Joe is Pip's best friend. |
| Mrs. Joe | Pip’s sister who constantly reminds him how she raised him ‘by hand’. She is not a pretty woman, but she is honorable. |
| Miss Havisham | A wealthy woman who was left at the altar. She manipulates many of the characters in the novel. |
| Estella | Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter. It is later revealed that she is the daughter of Molly and Abel Magwitch. |
| Orlick | An apprentice to Joe who tries to kill Pip. |
| Herbert | Also known as the Pale Young Gentleman, Herbert becomes Pip’s best friend in London. |
| Abel Magwitch | The convict Pip encounters in the marshes. He is secretly Pip’s benefactor. |
| Compeyson | A swindler who framed Abel, and attempted to rob Miss Havisham. |
| Matthew Pocket | Miss Havisham’s nephew, and Pip’s tutor in London. |
| Sarah, Georgiana, & Camilla | Miss Havisham’s relatives. |
|---|---|
| Jaggers | An affluent attorney who oversees the estates of Pip and Miss Havisham. |
| Wemmick | Jagger's assistant, who aids Pip with moral advice. |
| Bentley Drummle | Adversary of Pip who eventually marries Estella. |
| Uncle Pumblechook | Joe’s wealthy uncle, a corn merchant, who introduces Pip to Miss Havisham and her daughter Estella. |
| Mr. Wopsle | A family friend and struggling actor. He is related to Biddy. |
| Biddy | A young girl who educated Pip early in his life, and eventually marries Joe. |
| Startop | Like Pip, he is studying in London to be a gentleman. Pip trusts and befriends him. |
| Clara | Herbert's girlfriend. |
| The Aged | Wemmick's elderly Father. |
| Molly | Jagger's maid, Estella's Mother, and Abel's ex-fiance. |
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a character map for the major characters.
- Identify the major characters in Great Expectations and type their names into the different title boxes.
- Choose a character from the "1600s to 1800s" tab to represent each of the literary characters.
- Select colors and a pose appropriate to story and character traits.
- Choose a scene or background that makes sense for the character.
- Fill in the text boxes for Appearance, Traits, and Character Change.
Lesson Plan Reference
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/1] Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/3] Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/7] Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus)
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 33 Points | Emerging 25 Points | Beginning 17 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Picture & Scene | The characters and scenes are both appropriate for the book's characters. | Many of the characters and scenes match the book's characters. | More than half of the characters and scenes do not match the characters in the book. |
| Accuracy of Notes | Most of the information of the notes is correct. | Many of the notes have correct information, but some are incorrect or missing. | Less than half of the information of the notes is correct and relevant. |
| Effort | Work is complete, thorough, and neat. | Most of the sections of the character map were at least attempted and work is presentable. | Character map is unfinished and/or disorganized. |
How To Analyze Character Motives and Traits
Give Definitions and Illustrations
To assist students in understanding the ideas, define important terminology like "motivation" and "trait," and give examples from well-known stories or from everyday life. While reading the story, ask the students to apply these already learned concepts to different characters throughout.
Determine Motives
Talk about the reasons behind the characters' choices. Encourage your students to inquire as to why the character made the decision that they did. What motivates their actions? How do their intentions affect the plot? Students can create a list of motives for different characters and update the list as the story progresses.
Analyze Interactions and Movements
Examine the conversation and behavior of the characters. Encourage students to pay close attention to the things that characters say and do since they frequently reveal the motivations behind them. Ask the students to pay more attention to conversations and interactions including figurative language.
Examine Character Traits
Examine the characteristics that make each character unique. Ask your pupils to create a list of adjectives that best characterize the personalities, attitudes, actions, and social interactions of the characters.
Look for Contradictions
Assist pupils in spotting occasions where a character's actions or attributes appear to be at odds with one another. Describe how the character's inconsistencies add to his or her depth.
Promote Class Discussion
Discuss character motivations and qualities with the class. Encouraging critical thinking and civil discourse, helps students to express their opinions, thoughts, and insights.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pip's Social Circles in Great Expectations
What are the two major social groups that Pip interacts with throughout the book?
Pip alternates between two major social circles: the upper-class metropolitan life of London and the lower-class rural world of the marshes, where he was raised. These social groups are also one of the main themes of the story and motivate Pip to achieve his great expectations.
How does Pip's attitude toward his old friends change during the narrative?
As the plot develops, Pip learns the worth of his old friends and the truthfulness of people like Joe and Biddy. He understands that a person's value cannot just be determined by their social standing. This analysis explains that Pip’s character was only motivated to achieve his goals and he disregarded everyone’s feelings in the process but after some realization, he felt guilty about his attitude.
Which characters turned out to be Pip’s benefactors in the story?
Pip has two important sponsors: Magwitch, a prisoner he helped when he was young, and later, he thinks Miss Havisham is his sponsor since she gives him "great expectations."
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