FeedShould Characters Change During a Story? For Teachers and Writers
December 5, 2012 in Book Club Possibility, Books With Social Studies Content, Elementary Educators, Finding My Place by Margo Dill, Middle Grade Novel, Reading Skills, Writing Skills Tags: character study, characterization, Finding My Place
Found at this link: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/southern-belle.htm
In Finding My Place (White Mane Kids, October 1, 2012), Anna the main character definitely changes from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. I think it’s one reason why the book was accepted by a publisher and the reason why it’s fairly universal, even though it’s set in 1863 during the Civil War. Anna has to grow up and accept responsibility. She has to adopt to her new role in the family. She has to make decisions that affect more than just herself. She is not like this in the beginning of the book–in spite of her 13 years of age back in Civil War times. She was still acting like a child before the Siege, always wanting to write in her journal and not help out her ma.
You can help children understand character growth and change using books and characters, like Finding My Place or even picture books with younger students–any book or story that has a character (not concept books probably) who shows growth due to experiences. You can discuss these questions below with students when focusing on characters. (These questions will work for any book–not just mine. 
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- How is the character different at the end of the story than at the beginning?
- What events happen in the book to help the character change?
- Does the character change for the better or for worse? Explain!
- Why do you think the character changed?
- Can you think of a time in your life when you might have changed like this character did?
You would probably focus mostly on these questions during reading, but remind students of the answers when they are writing their own fiction stories.
For more information on Finding My Place: One Girl’s Strength at Vicksburg, please see this page.
December 5th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Hi Margo, I agree. Characters should change and grow. If they seem “stuck” and don’t “get it,” we’re frustrated with them. We cheer when they finally accept they have to grow/change to accomplish their goals, make things better, and achieve something. We see that in real life and want it in stories. In my children’s book, “Magical Matthew,” he changes and has to grow because of it. He can’t live in the past. He has to accept the change and grow in order to move on to the next stage of life– like your Anna in “Finding My Place.”
December 5th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Yes, I think growth is good, and certainly interesting. But I think you can get away with a strong, plot-driven story for young middle grade, especially if you have good characters. Kids fall for a character, right? But the higher-end, 11 and older, a character needs to change to add another layer of depth to the story.
I think FINDING MY PLACE succeeded for younger middle grade because you had such a unique setting (I mean, what kid hasn’t dreamed of living in a cave???) and lots of interesting historical stuff to throw into the plot. But the depth came from Anna’s growth–it was a coming of age for her–and that made the novel older middle grade.
I had an editor tell me once that in middle grade, the characters are engaged in the little world around them. In YA, the character is looking for their place in the big, wide world. I thought that was brilliant– (And had to revise my novel!)
December 6th, 2012 at 7:43 am
@Penelope–I need to read your book.
I so agree that a character STUCK is so frustrating. Sometimes I notice that more in adult novels than in children’s. That says something about adults, huh?
@Cathy–I love that about middle grade and YA characters–I think I am going to put that in the class I am teaching in the new year. I will say my brilliant writing friend, Cathy Hall, heard from an even more brilliant editor . . .
December 6th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Great information, Margo. These are questions I need to keep in mind when writing fictional (and nonfictional) characters!
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