Section 1: Overview

Characterization and Literary Analysis

We will begin reading Beloved. As we read pages 1–59, we will focus on characterization—specifically the introduction and development of characters and how Morrison intentionally applies techniques that directly and indirectly give the reader information about the character.

• Lesson 1:

  We will be introduced to the text Beloved, the Central Question, and the Section Diagnostic. We will read, discuss and unpack the first few pages from Beloved to introduce Toni Morrison’s style of writing, focusing on the setting, word choice, and syntax.

• Lesson 2:

  We will review the reading from the previous class and will listen to “The Source of Self-Regard,” a talk by Toni Morrison, in which she provides insight into her experience writing Beloved. We will then review the different types of narration in order to prep our thinking about the effects of narrative shift on the reader.

• Lesson 3:

  We will discuss a statement Toni Morrison makes about her authorial intent when writing Beloved. We will analyze and discuss characterization and point of view, ultimately becoming experts on at least one character. We will form an evidence-based claim about a character of our choosing, and we will each write a short paragraph that explains and supports our claim.

• Lesson 4:

  We will continue our exploration of characterization within Beloved, focusing on point of view, character dialogue, and actions. We will read the poem “The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and compare it to Paul D.’s singing in this section in order to discuss the power and effect of song. We will prepare for the Section Diagnostic by reviewing our notes from our Attending to Details Tool, Analyzing Relationships Tool, and the Character Note-Taking Tool. We will consider the following question: How does Morrison incorporate narrative shifts and what impact does this have on the reader?

• Lesson 5:

  Using our notes and materials from the previous lessons, we will demonstrate our understanding of character development and narration in pages 1–60 of Beloved by writing a response to one of the Section 1 Diagnostic prompts about Morrison’s use of characterization and narrative shifts.

• Lesson 6:

  We will review feedback on the Section Diagnostic. We will use the feedback to make revisions to our work.

• Lesson 7:

  We will commence an Independent Reading Program in which we choose texts to read independently as we progress through the unit. We will learn how to choose texts, what activities we may complete, about the final task, and about any materials we will use as we read our independent reading texts. We will begin by reading our texts, using tools to help us take notes and analyze important textual elements.