Literature Circle Characterization Discussion by Amy Swain

The mom

2024-04-26 14:14:57 UTC

The author's mom in the book is a resilient, creative woman who loves to make art. The author's dad worked at a gypsum mine and the mom would use the gypsum he occasionally brought home to make sculptures. "she said it was real marble and deserved a better fate and that, by making her sculptures, she was at least immortalizing some of it" (38). this shows that she did not like to see things go to waste and so she used the left over gypsum to make sculptures. "Mom devoted herself to her art" (38). this showed that she really enjoyed making art and devoted much of her time making it. I like how she is creative and loves her children, but I dislike how she does not take care of her children very well.

-Justin

Mary

2024-04-26 14:21:06 UTC

Mary Dalton is a character in Native Son who has strong ties to the American communist party. she is very politically involved and is interested in the social upbringing of minorities. I like that she is not discriminatory and does not look down upon people for having different beliefs, but I don't like how aggressively she pushes it.

When a group of protesters is arrested, of whom she calls comrades, she is asked for bail money as shown on page 76- "We need money for bail badly" "How much?" "Three thousand" "I'll mail you a check." This not only shows that she is rich, but that she is dedicated to the cause. - Jaxon

Main Character

2024-04-26 14:25:16 UTC

The main character, Jeanette Wells, has proven to be a very tough person, along with the rest of her siblings. I like this about her because it is a great life skill to have when we face hardships. No matter where the family went, she never complained; instead, she found joy through it all. "I could tell I was causing a big fuss, and I stayed quiet. One of them squeezed my hand and told me I was going to be okay. 'I know,' I said, 'but if I'm not, that's okay, too'" (Walls 10). This was after she had just been on fire and had severe burning. This supports the fact that she was and is a very tough individual. "I told Lori how lucky we were to be sleeping out under the sky like Indians" (Walls 18). This was after they had left home and began sleeping wherever they could hide from law enforcement. Instead of looking at how hard it was to leave home, she had a very positive attitude toward her situation.

-Reiley Snellgrove

The mother

2024-04-26 14:29:28 UTC

Bigger's mother is a single mother who is independent and head strong. She has three children two boys and one girl Bigger, Buddy, and Vera. Throughout the story readers can infer that the mother has favorites and holds each child to a different standard. Bigger is held to a higher standard because he is the oldest and is the one responsible for trying to pay the rent. Bigger is constantly yelled at throughout the book because he needs to do better, "You going to take the job, ain't you Bigger?" (11). The mother is constantly reminding Bigger of the fact that he needs this job that is being offered to him. This shows the true nature of a mother who is simply concerned for her children.

Rex Walls

2024-04-30 13:35:57 UTC

Brianna

Rex Walls is the type of man who is secure. He doesn't want anything to do with the government. He is a father to two girls and a boy. He tries his best to provide for his family, even if it means he has to be a criminal. He runs from tax collectors and commits fraud. He is an alcoholic, but will do anything to make his family happy. On page 55 she states, ""They're smart too!" Dad would declare. "Finest kids ever walked the planet."" He is very proud of the family he has made.

The narrator

2024-04-30 13:37:50 UTC

The narrator has shown so far that she is a very strong person. Throughout the book she discusses her life growing up. She talks about an incident that happened to her when she was three years old. "I turned to see where it was coming from and realized my dress was on fire. Frozen with fear, I watched the yellow-white flames make a ragged brown line up the pink fabric of my skirt and climb my stomach. Then the flames leaped up, reaching my face." (Walls 9). This incident alone shows how brave and strong she is to survive and keep going with life after being on fire at the age of three. She is also very optimistic about what would happen. In the hospital when the doctors and nurses would check on her she was always positive about everything. She was also positive and optimistic when her and her family were constantly moving around and even when she would have to sleep in the desert. She never complained or argued with them she just enjoyed being with them. This shows that she cares for her family a lot. Even at the beginning of the book when she spotted her mother dumpster diving because she is homeless she tried helping her.

-Triston

The Dad

2024-04-30 13:40:28 UTC

The author's dad is an interesting person that does not like normal society in America. He also does not conform to moral standards. He did not like how the doctors were treating his daughter's burns. "Dad appeared alone in the doorway of my room. He told me we were going to check out, Rex Walls-style." (14). This led to him grabbing his daughter and running out of the hospital. This shows that he does not care what other people think of him, as long as he gets his way. Her dad also had some anger issues. He would get into arguments when the author's grandma made him mad. "Dad would say something about selfish old crones with more money than they knew what to do with, and soon enough they'd be face-to-face in what amounted to a full-fledged cussing contest." (20). This shows how mad he could get. One little remark could lead him to cussing out his mother-in-law. I do not like how he handles problems in his life like at the hospital or his anger. I do like how he makes his sons and daughters feel special even if they do not have the money.

-Landon