The Minister's Black Veil Characters: OSCAR Analysis

OSCAR and Mr. Hooper with The Minister's Black Veil

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Activity Overview

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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!

For this character map, try using “OSCAR” so that students can analyze multiple aspects of a character.

	DEFINITION	EXAMPLE
O	Other Character's Comments What do other characters say about the character?	“‘I don’t like it,’ muttered an old woman, as she hobbled into the meetinghouse. ‘He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face.’”
S	Speech What does the character say about others or themselves? How can we infer meaning and traits from what a character says?	“‘It is but a mortal veil - it is not for eternity! O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!’”
C	Physical Characteristics What does the character look like? What descriptive words are used to describe them?	“Though reckoned a melancholy man, Mr. Hooper has a placid cheerfulness for such occasions, which often excited a sympathetic smile where the livelier merriment would have been thrown away. There was no quality of his disposition which made him more beloved than this.”
A	Author's Attitude How does the author feel about this character?	The narrator highlights Mr. Hooper’s sadness at how his veil separates him from friendship and makes him feared among the townspeople and, especially children. Yet, his call to the higher duty of wearing the veil outweighs his loneliness.
R	Reader's Reaction How do you, as the reader, feel about the character?	The way that Mr. Hooper is described makes him sound odd; however, he also seems very sad. The veil separates him from everyone, including his fiance, and he dies without any living relatives around him.

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: OSCAR - Direct and Indirect Characterization

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/5] Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 9–10)
[ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/6] Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically
[ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/10] Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences

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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a character map for the major characters.

Identify the major characters in "The Minister's Black Veil" and type their names into the different title boxes.
Choose a Storyboard That character 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 Textables for OSCAR: Other Character's Comments, Character's Speech, Physical Characteristics, Author's Attitude, and Reader's Reaction.
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OSCAR - TEMPLATE

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Rubric

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OSCAR

Indirect and Direct Characterization

	Proficient 33 Points	Emerging 25 Points	Beginning 17 Points
Direct Characterization quotes	Using the acronym OSCAR the student was able to find 3 or more quotes that exemplify direct characterization. The student also had them correctly labeled next to the corresponding letter.	Using the acronym OSCAR the student was able to find 1 or 2 quotes that exemplify direct characterization. Some error may have occurred when labeling the quotes next to the corresponding letter.	Using the acronym OSCAR the student was able to find find a few examples of direct characterization. Some error may have occurred when labeling the quotes next to the corresponding letter.
Indirect Characterization quotes	Using the acronym OSCAR the student was able to find 3 or more quotes that exemplify indirect characterization. The student also had them correctly labeled next to the corresponding letter. For extra credit the student explained the significance of their examples and inferred meaning.	Using the acronym OSCAR the student was able to find 1 or 2 quotes that exemplify indirect characterization. Some error may have occurred when labeling the quotes next to the corresponding letter.	Using the acronym OSCAR the student was able to find 1 or 2 quotes that exemplify direct characterization. Some error may have occurred when labeling the quotes next to the corresponding letter.
Use of characters and imagery	Student completed the storyboard using characters that match their full description. Careful thought and consideration was used in all details including physical appearance, clothing, height, weight, etc.	Student completed the storyboard using characters that somewhat match the full description. Thought and consideration was used in details including physical appearance, clothing, height, weight, etc.	Student completed the storyboard using characters that did not match the full description. Thought and consideration was not used in choosing details such as physical appearance, clothing, height, weight, etc.