Character maps can be used as during-reading or post-reading activities to make meaning of the text by making sense of the story’s characters. Through the use of character maps, students analyze characters’ physical descriptions, personalities, perspectives, motivation, feelings, and relationships. Yop and Yop demonstrate that by using two character maps, one near the beginning and one near the end of a story, you can better analyze changes in characters and changes in relationships in a story ( Yop and Yop, p.50). Thus, you will complete two character maps in this activity. I have modified the activity for you to respond online, but you can refer to the graphic organizer to help you visualize how this looks on paper (Click on image to see an enlarged view).
In Big Mouth, Ugly Girl, the storyline depends on the development of the relationship between Matt Donaghy (aka Big Mouth) and Ursula Riggs (aka Ugly Girl). These are the characters we will use for our character maps.
Part 1: Start with the character map about Matt Donaghy and Ursula Riggs during January (Chapters 1-8, pp.1-74). On the organizer, the class would list as many character traits as they can think of about each character in his or her box. Above and below the arrows drawn in between the characters, the class then writes words or phrases that tell what each character’s relationship is to the other character and how each character feels about the other character. For your blog response, first list three to five key character traits that describe EACH of the characters. Then describe each character’s relationship to the other and one or two phrases that describe how the character feels about the other.
Part 2: Now refer to the second character map that refers to April (Ch 47-49, pp.254-266) at end of the story. List three to five character traits that specifically describe each character at this point in the story. Then describe the relationship of each character to the other, along with two phrases that describe how that character feels about the other at this point in the story.
Part 3: Compare your lists for each character. For each character, evaluate one trait that you listed at the end of the story that the character didn’t display at the beginning of the story. Describe the events or information in the story that you feel support this change in the character.
To give you an idea of how to approach this assignment, I have written an example for Matt and included all the parts to the assignment below. You will need to complete both character maps for Matt and Ursula:
Part 1: January/Beginning Character Map:
Matt’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits you see in him, but here are my thoughts)
1. Popular easy-going vice-president of his junior class
2. Aspiring writer who is not quite happy with his play
3. Sees himself as a Big Mouth for not thinking before he talks
4. Hurt and angry that his friends do not stand up for him
5.
Ursula’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at this point: (Come up with your own response)
Ursula’s classmate. Doesn’t know why someone like independent and rebellious Ursula would help him.
How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at this point: (Fill this in)
Part 2: April/Ending Character Map:
Matt’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1. Doesn’t feel like he fits in with his old friends
2. Still feels hurt because of the bomb-scare incident
3. Feels unsure if he can be funny and easy-going
4. Accomplished writer who is being published in the op/ed section of The New York Times
5.
Ursula’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at the end: (Come up with your own response)
He is now close friends with Ursula. Matt feels inspired by her friendship to take more risks and be more independent.
How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at the end:(Fill this in)
Part 3: One trait that has changed in Matt and one trait that has changed in Ursula. Use events or information from the story to support why those traits have changed.
Matt:
(Choose one of the ending traits you wrote and explain)
One of the traits that changed in Matt from the beginning to the end is that he doesn’t feel like he fits in with his old friends. Many events in the story influenced this change. When he e-mailed his friends after the false bomb scare and none of them wanted to get involved, it made Matt think twice about who his real friends were. Also, even after he was exonerated, none of his friends really did much more to re-establish their friendships than to send quick e-mails. In the end, when his friends would not approach him when he was with Ursula and when they questioned her ability to fit in with their crowd, Matt knew he could no longer be friends with friends who judged by appearances alone and not by who a person was inside.
Ursula:
(Choose one of the ending traits you wrote and explain)
Try to think beyond physical descriptions and more about the characters’ motivations and feelings. I look forward to seeing your responses. Have a great week!
Part 1: January
ReplyDeleteMatt
1.Closet perfectionist
2.Uses humor to deal with or deflect uncomfortable situations
3.Wants people to like him, cares about what other people think about him
4.Values Pumpkin’s unconditional love and loyalty
Ursula
1.Aggressively competitive
2.Refers to herself as “Ugly Girl” when she wants to protect herself from the perceived judgments of other people. Refers to herself as “Ursula” when she’s disgusted with herself for letting what other people think influence how she feels about herself.
3.Loves her younger sister, but is bothered that her parents appear to be more supportive of Lisa’s interests then her own
4.Possesses a strong sense of justice/injustice
5.Has little patience with people who don’t want to “rock the boat”
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at this point:
Matt has known Ursula since elementary school. He admires the fact that she appears to not care about what people think about her. He finds this particularly admirable since he feels he cares too much about what people think of him.
How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at this point:
Ursula has known Matt since elementary school. She likes the fact that he doesn’t use his sense of humor in a malicious way, even if his humor can be childish at times.
Part 2: April
Matt
1.Still wants people to like him, but he is more wary of the superficiality of his classmates.
2.Likes to escape and go hiking in the nature preserve, which is away from all of the stuff he is dealing with at school and home
3.Proud that his article will be published and his play will be performed
Ursula
1.Sees her new haircut as a new start
2.Learning to let go of past hurts in order to move forward
3.Respects Matt’s anger, sense of betrayal, and frustration about the bomb scare and Pumpkin’s kidnapping enough to let him have those feelings without telling him “to get over it.
4.Considering acting in Matt’s play
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at the end:
Matt and Ursula are very close by the end of the book. Matt really appreciates Ursula’s strength and her support, especially during the lawsuit. He admires her conviction and her fierce friendship.
How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at the end:
Ursula and Matt are very close by the end of the book. Because of their friendship she is less closed-off from people and willing to let go of some of the hurt from her past in order to move forward.
Part 3:Comparing Jan/April Traits
The degree to which Matt wants people to like him has changed over the course of the novel. In the beginning of the book, he explains how he really wants people to like him and that he uses his talent for making people laugh as a way to get people to like him and to feel like he fits in with them. After the betrayal of his “friends” and the anger and resentment and hate that his classmates show him because of the bomb-scare and lawsuit, Matt places less value on his classmates’ opinions. By the end of the book he is still hurt by their willingness (and eagerness) to think the worst of him. Although he is still flattered and excited about the invitation to Brooke Tyler’s exclusive party, he is able to turn it down and hang out with Ursula instead because he can agree with Ursula’s judgment of the “phoniness” of this clique.
One major trait that changes for Ursula over the course of the story is that the way she uses “Ugly Girl.” She still calls herself “Ugly Girl” at the end of the book, but the sense of using the name as a wall between herself and the world isn’t there. She credits this to her friendship with Matt and says, “He respected me, but didn’t take me overly seriously. If Ugly Girl had pretentions, both Matt Donaghy and Clayton Riggs knew how to tease her, gently” (p.266). This suggests that although she still uses Ugly Girl to protect herself from the world, she’s more willing to let her guard down a little bit and feels less threatened by the world.
Part 1: January
ReplyDeleteMatt's character traits:
1. Clown/jokester
2. Passionate about his play writing
3. Self-conscious; cares what others think about him
4. Ironic, suspicious
Ursula's character traits:
1. Dismissive of others
2. fierce athlete
3. only understands her Ugly Girl self in two ways: inky black or fiery red
4. thinks Ursula is a coward and weak
Matt has known Ursula since the fifth grade, but would not call her a friend. Admires her individuality and that she doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks of her.
Ursula has known Matt since fifth grade; understands he is always joking around, but his humor is not mean or malicious. He has a lot of friends, is popular and girls like him.
Part II: April
Matt's character traits:
1. Recognizes the superficiality of some friends (Stacy, etc)
2. More confident in writing and acceptance of self
3. Doesn't care as much what people think
4. Acknowledges feelings for Ursula
Ursula's character traits:
1. No longer sees herself as a coward or weak
2. Opens up her truest self to Matt and trusts him
3. Ugly girl realizes there is no point in dwelling on the past
4. Agrees to be in Matt's play
Matt recognizes how people can be so unreliable and fakey, due in part to the strength of Ursula and her refusal to give in to these standards set by others.
Ursula encourages Matt and gets him to send his writing to the New York Times. She exhibits belief in him, trusts him and feels joy over his success. No inky blacks.
Part III
1. At the beginning of the novel, Matt was very worried about what people thought of him and the rumors of his being a terrorist. He discovered that his "friends" abandoned him in their best interest, and this is not a component of friendship Matt had understood. At the end of the novel, Matt exhibits a new understanding of friendship and recognizes that everyone is not the same kind or category of friend. He accepts the superficiality of others while reveling in the light and honesty of his friendship with Ursula.
2. At the beginning of the novel, Ursula was Ugly Girl a lot, a kind of defense mechanism against the world. However, by the end of the novel, she realizes she was able to connect and support Matt through Ursula, who is not weak, nor a coward. She accepts herself and recognizes her strengths and even weaknesses make her a complete being.
Part 1: January/Beginning Character Map:
ReplyDeleteMatt’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits you see in him, but here are my thoughts)
1.Smart
2. Funny
3. well-liked
Ursula’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1.moody
2. athletic
3. bored
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at this point: (Come up with your own response)
Ursula’s classmate. Matt thinks the email from Ursula is a mean joke his friends are playing on him. When he finds that it really is Ursula, he cannot figure out why she wants to help him.
How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at this point: (Fill this in)
Matt and Ursula are classmates. Ursula knows the truth about what Matt said. She knows Matt is a good person and is standing up for him whether or not it hurts her chances of getting into college.
Part 2: April/Ending Character Map:
Matt’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1. Independent of social “pettiness”
2. Nervous about bomb scare incident
3. Talented
Ursula’s Character Traits
(List 3-5 character traits)
1. Courageous
2. Loyal
3. Compassionate
How Matt is related to Ursula and Matt’s feelings for Ursula at the end: (Come up with your own response)
Matt and Ursula are now boyfriend and girlfriend as evident by their kiss on the last page.
How Ursula is related to Matt and Ursula’s feelings for Matt at the end:(Fill this in)
Ursula and Matt have become very good friends/boyfriend and girlfriend, Ursula feels extremely comfortable around Matt.
Part 3:
Matt:
(Choose one of the ending traits you wrote and explain)
In the beginning of the book, Matt was very well liked and was concerned with how the bomb scare would reflect his popularity. When he speaks with Ursula for the first time, he mentions she was the only person to contact him. He reflects that he is like a “pariah” or a “leper.” Once Matt has been suspended for a few days, he has some time to think about how his “good friends” reacted to his suspension and they fact that they didn’t contact him right away. Matt maturely supposes that they, “Had their reasons (79).” It is at this point, that Matt’s attitude changes regarding his popularity. He discovers that true friends are there for you no matter what. He discovers that Ursula, who was never his friend, was more a friend to him than his “real” friends.
Ursula:
One trait that changed for Ursula was her compassion toward people. In the beginning of the book, Ursula really only cared about herself and how people were affecting her. However, after her relationship with Matt unfolds, she discovers compassion. He realizes that life is more enjoyable when she is happy and that she doesn’t have to walk around as “Ugly Girl.” Ursula really makes this realization on page 240 when she says, “She [Ugly Girl] was like a uniform, or a skin, I could slip into, but she wasn’t right for all occasions.” In this passage, Ursula realizes that “Ugly Girl” does not have to be who she is. “Ugly Girl” does not define who she is.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteMatt's Character Traits:
1. funny
2. well-liked
3. optomistic
Ursula's Charcter Traits:
1. competitive
2. confident
3. distrusting, guarded
Matt has known Ursula and admires her self-confidence, but they have never really been friends.
Ursula knows Matt is a well-liked person, though she has never really thought that much of him. She has faith in his character and knows that he is a good person who did not do what he is accused of.
Part 2:
Matt's Character Traits:
1. self-assured
2. less naive about his friends
3. confident in abilities as a writer
Ursula's Character Traits:
1. more open to others and friendship
2. more confident in Ursula and not just Ugly Girl
3. aware of her talents outside of basketball
Matt understands ursula better and has found a true friend in Ursula. He has gained confidence in himself from being around her.
Ursula has become more accepting of herself through her friendship with Matt because she sees that other people can accept her for who she is and therefore she can accept herself. She has a deeper understanding of Matt as a person and a friend, not just another goofy boy she goes to school with.
Part 3:
Matt changes from being someone is is very open and optimistic in almost a naive way to having a better understanding of who he is and who his friends are. The bomb scare really makes him realize that a lot of the people he thought of as friends were not true friends. he tried so hard to be funny and fun that he never really let his friends see who he really was. In the end, Matt seems to have gotten past his big mouth and embraced his true personality beyond all of his jokes. He is more worried about himself than what others think of him.
Ursula changes by opening up more and allowing people to be close to her. in the beginning she has a lot of self-confidence but she pushes people away. She won't allow anyone to see who she really is because, in reality she prefers the persona she has created since it protects her. Her friendship with Matt shows her that she can be more than just a basketball star and people will like her for it. She finds out that having friends and being yourself is a good thing, not something she should avoid.
Nancy, Thank you for an engaging lens (character map) through which to look at this story. Julie, Tracy, Natalie and Allie (who I am coming to think of as "am"- you have each delineated aspects of matt and Ursula's development from their initially narcissistic view of themselves and the world, to an increasingly a view that takes into account the views of others. Julie, you describe Matt as initially dependent on others for his self worth; Tracy you note that Matt hides his writing talent at first...it's nerdly in the view of others, he thinks..then gradually reveals it and begins to form an identity that includes it publicly; Natalie-you point to Matt's development from superficial to more authentic; am- your point out the Matt loses a certain naivete. Julie, you see Ursula as changing the way she uses her "Ugly Girl" designation...from a wall that separates her from others, to an almost special name that connects her; Tracy- you see Ursula as accepting herself WITH her flaws as well as her talents (I call this "joining the human race." Natalie you see Ursula as acting on thus developing her compassion for another; and am-you describe Ursula as beginning to allow others to come close. The book does a lot of work to showcase the resilience of teens in tough situations to become more fully human THROUGH their relationships with each other. The character map has shown itself to be a great tool for surfacing the journey. Wouldn't this be fun for small groups to do and share?
ReplyDelete