Wolf
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- This task can be done individually or in groups.
- Tell students that to support their response of Yes/ No/ Yes and No at b) and c), they need to use evidence from the text, and from their prior knowledge, i.e., things that have happened to them, things they have seen, heard, or read about.
- You may need to explain that "a believable character" (task c) is a character who seems real, someone you could believe is living out there in the world - a credible character.
- Responses can be discussed by teacher and student only, or within larger groups. Group discussion has the advantage of giving students opportunities to consider others' ideas and to practise justifying their own.
- reflect critically about character
- evaluate and integrate ideas and information
For task a) we have listed evidence that shows us the storyteller wants to have a relationship with Jodie. We have not listed evidence that tells us he wants to have a relationship with Jodie since that type of evidence is relatively easy to identify. (NOTE: not all texts have evidence that "tells" about a character.) The evidence relates to what he, and two other characters, look like (appearance), what the storyteller says (dialogue), what he does (action), and what he thinks (thought).
a) How do you know the storyteller would like to have a relationship with Jodie?
Appearance (what the storyteller - Barry - Jodie, and Amos look like). Note that in Wolf, evidence for appearance as related to this question comes from both the written and visual texts.
Page 17:
- The way Jodie is drawn: she is much bigger than the others around her. (This suggests the storyteller admires Jodie.)
- 'When I hit fifteen, the single hair on my chest died - But when Jodie hit fifteen, she turned up at school with black spikes, and a blonde streak in front.' (This suggests the storyteller admires Jodie.)
Page 18:
- The way the storyteller is drawn: He looks like he is happily anticipating Jodie's party.
Page 20:
- The way Jodie and Amos are drawn: In the top picture Jodie has a heart drawn above her and is looking adoringly at her new boyfriend (Amos) who is drawn much bigger than her and looks stunning. (This suggests the storyteller is aware of Jodie's feelings for Amos and is envious.)
- The way the storyteller is drawn: He is willing to go to great lengths in order to attract Jodie.
Page 21:
- Barry's hair 'leaking raspberry'. (This suggests the storyteller will try anything in order to impress Jodie.)
Page 22:
- The way the storyteller is drawn: His smile is radiant as he looks at Jodie.
- '...I saw her zipping along on a flash bike - (This suggests the storyteller admires Jodie.)
- 'She shook down a single, long, yellow plait.' (This suggests the storyteller admires Jodie.)
Dialogue (what the storyteller says)
Direct dialogue (a direct quote; speech marks will always be used)Page 16:
- "You like him?" (This suggests the storyteller senses competition.)
- "What - makes a girl really go for a guy?" (This suggests the storyteller wants advice on how to attract Jodie.)
Page 18:
- "What should I smell of?"/ "How do I get to smell confident?" (Both suggest he wants advice on how to attract Jodie.)
Page 19:
- "Man's stuff." (This suggests the storyteller is feeling confident about attracting Jodie.)
Page 20:
- "They [dreadlocks] attract fleas and spiders and things." (This suggests the storyteller wants to put Jodie off Amos - her new boyfriend.)
- "You think I'd suit a ring in my ear?"/ "What about a ring through my nose?" (Both suggest the storyteller wants to look more like Amos.)
- "Give us a break," I said desperately. "I need to look interesting!" (This suggests the storyteller believes Amos's pierced ear makes him "interesting" and therefore attractive to Jodie. The storyteller is therefore attempting to copy Amos.)
Page 22:
- "Hey, courier!" (This suggests the storyteller is excited to see Jodie.)
- "You like it?" (This suggests the storyteller is surprised but pleased Jodie likes something about the way he looks.)
- "Wow" (This suggests the storyteller is impressed by Jodie's appearance.)
- "Sure - Why not?" (This suggests the storyteller is still keen on having a relationship with Jodie.)
Action (what the storyteller does)
Page 16:
- 'I [the storyteller] tried not to look too eager.' (This suggests he really wants to go to Jodie's party.)
Page 18:
- The storyteller buys the WOLF deodorant, 'For REAL Men' for Jodie's party
- The storyteller 'showered' and 'doused' his body with the deodorant. (This suggests he wants to impress Jodie.)
Page 19:
- He goes for a run in an attempt to get rid of the smell so he could still go to the party.
- He doesn't go to Jodie's party because he couldn't get rid of the smell.
Page 20:
- He considers an ear- or nose-ring.
Page 21:
- He goes to a lot of effort to colour his hair.
Thought (what Barry - the storyteller - thinks)
Direct thought (thought offered directly, as if we were over-hearing the character's mind)Page 16:
- 'Sol? Sol Bradley?' (This suggests he is surprised that Jodie has asked him to invite Sol to her party and is hurt to discover she's interested in another boy, not him.)
Page 18:
- 'A guy on a bus - a tube rolls out of his pocket - passengers go ga-ga thinking it's a bomb - but a cool girl picks it [deodorant] up - Men's deodorant! Kill those armpits!' (This suggests he plans to make himself attractive for Jodie.)
Page 20:
- 'It [Red] would look really something in my pale hair. Knock Jodie for a six-
Indirect thought (thought that is reported by the storyteller/ narrator or author) Note that in Wolf the storyteller reports his own thoughts.Page 22:
- 'The end of a beautiful friendship, I thought.' (This could suggest the storyteller is disappointed about Jodie leaving school; it could however be interpreted as sarcasm.)
This resource was trialled by 38 students. The trial involved Year 9 and 10 students from 3 schools.
Task a): How do you know the storyteller would like to have a relationship with Jodie?
Appearance
No students noted the evidence from the visual and written texts that suggests the storyteller wants to have a relationship with Jodie.
According to Burroway, "our eyes are our most highly developed means of perception...it is appearance that prompts our first reaction to people" (pages 81-82). A character's appearance, clothing, features, shape, style, the way they hold themselves and objects associated with them such as the car they drive or the house they live in, make statements about who the character is, what kind of person they are, their character, the "inner" person.
Appearance is important to the construction of character in this text. Jodie is characterised as attractive and "cool" through her appearance: She is drawn much larger than other figures (page 17), and her hair and bike are admired in the written and/or visual texts (pages 16 & 22).
No students noted the evidence the visual text provides. This may be because students at this level no longer value or recognise visual cues as valid evidence. It may also be that some students cannot infer from illustrations.
Given that no students commented on appearance, vital clues about the central character's desire to have a relationship with Jodie were overlooked.
Dialogue
Almost all of the trial students noted the storyteller's dialogue as evidence of him wanting to have a relationship with Jodie.
By using dialogue, the writer conveys readers quickly and economically through to the core of the narrative - Barry's desire to have a relationship with Jodie. In dialogue, a writer can simultaneously suggest image, personality, or emotion, thus moving a narrative forward and enriching the reader's understandings.
- He was always trying to keep up with her fads to try and impress her.
- Throughout the whole story, every change he made is done for her.
- When Jodie's relationship with Sol ended, she rang the storyteller up and he 'felt like a bird that had been thrown a crumb' (page 19).
It is interesting to note the variety of interpretations students had of the storyteller's simile that he felt 'like a bird that had been thrown a crumb':
- He was so happy that Jodie rang him. He was so happy he described it as a bird being thrown a crumb.
- The storyteller feels he has another chance to have a relationship with Jodie.
- When he says he felt like a bird that had been thrown a crumb, I'm picking he wants the whole slice of bread - Jodie!
The first two interpretations are based on incorrect understandings of the saying 'like a bird that had been thrown a crumb.' 'Crumb' in this sense means a small part of something, a fragment of something larger. The storyteller is not happy with his 'crumb' and it does not make him optimistic about his chances with Jodie because, just as the third interpretation says, he wants much more than a crumb: He wants the whole slice of bread - Jodie! This third interpretation is particularly insightful since it builds upon the metaphor of the phone call being a 'crumb' with the metaphor of Jodie being the 'whole slice of bread'.
Task b): Was the storyteller right to agree with Jodie that they are still friends?
- No [the storyteller wasn't right to agree that he and Jodie were still friends] because he'll continually have to spend time and money on stuff to keep Jodie interested in him. It would be an empty friendship because she would like him because of his hair, not his personality. Jodie would dump him as soon as she found someone more interesting just like she'd dumped Sol Bradley, Amos and the surfie.
- [No.] They never really were friends. Throughout the whole story he was trying to be noticed and become friends with Jodie. But every time she shut him out. When she left school, she didn't even say goodbye. If they were friends I'm sure she would have.
The judgements made by about the same number of students were primarily based on background knowledge. For example:
- [Yes.] Even though Barry did not have a relationship with Jodie it was the next best thing to having a relationship. It also is a good way to end the story, on a high note.
- [No.] Jodie dropped out of school so she might be trouble.
- Yes because in my past this has happened a lot but friends seem to help you get the courage to tell the truth about your feelings.
These findings suggest students over-rely on their background knowledge for evidence, and under-use evidence from the text. Students who neglected to use details from the text cannot be said to have the necessary skills to evaluate a character.
Justifying
A very small group were not able to provide justification for their 'Yes and No' response. Responses were accepted only if they gave reasons why the storyteller was and wasn't right to agree with Jodie that they were still friends. For example:
- I think that he wasn't right because Jodie never said goodbye to him when she left school. But when they saw each other again, they chatted and Jodie looked pleased to see him. Also there was no reason why they couldn't be friends, because they had never had any fights or anything.
This was accepted because it gives a reason why the storyteller wasn't right: I think that he wasn't right because Jodie never said goodbye to him when she left school and reasons why he was: But when they saw each other again, they chatted and Jodie looked pleased to see him. Also there was no reason why they couldn't be friends, because they had never had any fights or anything.Some students failed to give reasons for both parts of their 'Yes and No' response:
- The storyteller should have confronted Jodie and asked her how she felt and maybe they might be more than friends. (No, he wasn't right.)
- Barry only agreed because he thinks he still might have a chance to be her boyfriend. (No, he wasn't right.)
Task c): Has the author been successful in making the storyteller a believable character?NOTE: There is no right or wrong answer for this task. This task requires readers to evaluate the author's construction of character and justify their response using both the text and prior knowledge. What is important is the quality of the justifications they give for their stance.
Appropriateness - Most students appeared to understand that for a character to be believable, they need to behave in a way that is appropriate to who they are.
Burroway and Stuckey-French (2007: 145) write that although writers aim for individuality in characters, those characters must still be typical in the sense that they must be appropriate. For example, a "Baptist Texan behaves differently from an Italian nun; a rural schoolboy behaves differently from a professor emeritus at Harvard." A successful individual character, one who seems real and individual, will also behave in a way that is typical or appropriate to the kind of person they are. Writers achieve this through explicitly stating or implying appearance, tone, and action.
Appearance - Two students noted that the storyteller did or did not look like a typical teenage boy:
- Everybody wears nicer clothes when they're doing something with another person who they want to impress.
- I don't think he is believable because the hair styles are crazy and I think that no-one would ever want hair like that.
Tone - Almost a half of trial students noted the storyteller's teenage angst (anxiety) as appropriate or inappropriate:
- Barry is a normal teenage boy who has a crush on his best friend and he always wants her to admire him.
- He's a teenager trying to impress someone. He changes all these things about himself and uses all these products so that he would be noticed.
- Yes Barry is like most 15 year olds who think they need to change how they look to impress someone. In the end it shows you should just be yourself because Jodie liked him the way he was.
Action - A small group noted the storyteller's actions as appropriate or inappropriate.
- A lot of kids around the world do things to change themselves for a girl/boy and go hard out to be noticed.
- In most ways the character is very realistic and believable but I feel if he really had strong feelings for Jodie as he made out, he would be willing to spend as much money as necessary. If he didn't have the money he could get some, by borrowing from his friends, from his mother or by getting a job. I don't think he would resort to cheap deodorant or food coloured hair to impress Jodie if he really liked her.
- I think he is believable because a lot of youth have problems like this.
This student is certainly able to form an opinion about the credibility of Barry as a character but has not explicitly based that opinion on detailed evidence. For example, they could have noted a detail such as when the storyteller "made a face" (when the assistant in the chemist shop told him the price of the hair rinses) as evidence of believable behaviour from someone Barry's age.
Students who neglected to use details from the text cannot be said to have the necessary skills to evaluate an author's construction of a character. Responses such as the one above beg the question, "Which problems?"
The following section Students who need more work on using text details is presented as an example of how you might foreground the Key Competencies within reading. In particular, it exemplifies how you might foreground "Using language, symbols, and texts" and, to a lesser extent, "Thinking" within reading through a focus on the way authors construct characters with carefully chosen details. This approach requires students to not just understand the text but to understand how the text is constructed and why it is constructed that way. This idea is expanded below. In the table below, Using language, symbols, and texts has the largest bolded font because it is the most important to this particular example.
Students who need more work on using text details:
Writers build characters with details. Good writers are meticulous in their choice of details, including only those that add value and meaning to the description of a character. It is these details, as well as background knowledge, that a reader uses in order to respond to questions such as "How do you know the storyteller would like to have a relationship with Jodie?", "Was the storyteller right to agree with Jodie that they are still friends?" and "Has the author been successful in making the storyteller a believable character?"
Details: telling and showingWriters may choose to use details that tell readers about characters if they want to convey information quickly. For example:
"Man's stuff," I said proudly. (p.19)
By the storyteller telling the reader that he was 'proud', the writer has not given the reader the opportunity to come to their own conclusions about how he might be feeling; and, increasingly, modern readers expect to have that opportunity.
More commonly, writers of fiction will choose to use details that show characters to readers. For example:
I went for a run to sweat it out, then showered, but the stuff had sunk into my pores. I didn't go to the party. (p.19)
Here the reader must infer how the storyteller might be feeling: perhaps he's feeling defeated and has now given up on wanting to impress Jodie; perhaps he feels frustrated that all his efforts came to nothing, or perhaps he feels depressed.
Ask your students to compare how they respond to having the opportunity to come to their own conclusion about how Barry might be feeling with how they would respond if he had simply told them "I was so depressed, I didn't go to the party ".
Details: general and specificWhen writers tell readers about characters they use details that are general or broad. For example, the storyteller tells us what he thinks:
The end of a beautiful friendship, I thought. (p.22)
The word "beautiful" is general (or abstract); it has a broad rather than specific meaning because it can be generally applied to all sorts of situations. You might like to ask your students to tell you about the situations "beautiful" can be applied to in an attempt to show them that it is not specific to any particular situation. (Note that at this point your students will probably be unclear about why "beautiful" is general; in fact they may even argue that it has a specific meaning. It will probably not be until the end of the following exercise that they have a clearer understanding.)
However, when writers show characters to readers they use specific (or concrete) details. For example:
She nodded, and unstrapped her helmet. Her hair was black, cut high above her ears. She shook down a single, long, yellow plait. (p.22)
Here readers create an image that is specific. They create a vivid picture in their heads; they can "see" this image. Most importantly, it is vivid pictures like this one that have impact upon readers.Finally, ask your students to attempt to create a picture in their heads of "a beautiful friendship" (you may need to explain at some point that it is impossible unless they imagine a specific situation).
For more information on the terms "abstract" and "concrete": http://www.nzcermarking.org.nz/help/AbstractInformation.html
Reference
Burroway, J. and Stuckey-French, E. (2007). Writing Fiction: A guide to narrative craft. Seventh Edition. New York, NY: Longman.
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