Fences: Act I & 2; Portfolio

This morning, during period 1 and part of 2, please gather in two groups and read OUT LOUD the play Fences by August Wilson.


Choose one of the characters in ACT ONE or TWO: Draw a character sketch of that character. Along with your sketch, indicate lines and words (with page #'s) from the play that help describe and characterize the character you chose.

When an author develops a character, he/she relies on characterization. Characterization is based on four distinct things:

• What a character says or thinks about him/herself
• What another character says or thinks about the character
• What the character does (the actions the character does and the choices he/she makes)
• The details or physical description the author or narrator gives us. In this case, what is revealed in the STAGE DIRECTIONS of the play script. 

A note about symbols: an OBJECT that has more than one meaning (a literal one and a figurative one) is used to say something about a character or idea/theme that is central to the meaning of the work. The title, for example, is also a symbol: Fences are used as a symbol. Consider what that means to the characters in a literal and figurative way. What other symbols (objects) are in the play and consider what they might mean.

For your homework, draw a sketch of one of the characters. On your picture, please make sure you have found words/description/lines from the text (include page #'s where you got that information) that support your examination of characterization. Please turn in your portrait Monday, Feb. 1 when we return from mid-term week.

During period 4 when instructed, please go next door to the lab to print out any work from SEMESTER ONE that you have not yet put in your portfolio.

Semester Portfolio - Final "Exam"

1. Examine your work collected in your portfolio. (You may print out anything you haven't yet printed out and place a copy in your portfolio). You may print anything out you have written in either Ms. Gamzon or my class.

2. Revise:
• Nouns: Nouns should be specific and concrete; avoid blatant abstract or vague nouns always in your writing.

 One way to make an abstract concept (like love or death or pain or sadness) concrete is by creating a metaphor or simile. (Ex. Love is a blind dove fluttering at your window)--use metaphor and simile in your writing to strengthen abstraction and turn it into concrete and specific writing! 

 If you can’t hold it in your hand, touch it, smell it, taste it, hear it, then it’s not concrete. If you can’t see it or touch it, it’s not specific.

• Verbs: Verbs should be active.

 Do not write in the passive voice – let your subject do the action.
 Avoid excessive use of the verb TO BE. Instead, use strong active verbs
 Do not shift tense. Make sure all your verbs are either in the past or present. Try not to switch between tenses.

• Modifiers: Adjectives, prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, interjections. These parts of speech help describe your characters, settings, and plot events.

• The thing to remember about modifiers is that they are not necessary. Overusing them is a great mistake in writing! Be concise!
• Make sure your stories and poems describe the images you expect the reader to see. Don’t forget about WHERE your characters are or WHAT they are doing while they are talking or acting.
• Adverbs should be used sparingly.
• Try to avoid overusing conjunctions. This is a sure sign of a run-on sentence.

• Plot, character, setting, conflict, theme, dialogue, form: Find places in your stories and poems to expand your ideas. Complicate your plots, make them longer, more character driven, more descriptive. Use dialogue to develop your characters histories and backgrounds. Choose your words with care. Try to make a point. Remember your reader!
• Spell check and proofread your work! Reading your work out loud can help!
• It is sometimes helpful to get feedback from friends, teacher, or enemies about your writing.

Remember: this is a writing portfolio (and you have taken Grammar and Style), so you should check and correct any grammar or formatting errors in your work.

3. After you review and revise your portfolio, write a 1-3 page typed reflection essay about your progress this far in your creative writing courses.  Since you did one of these last quarter, feel free to update it. Answer the seven questions below somewhere in your reflective response. In your essay, you should:

 Talk about the work you include in your portfolio:

1. What pieces did you most enjoy, which were difficult for you and why? Which pieces show off your talent? What did writing these pieces help you understand in writing? 

1. Write about your strengths and weaknesses as a writer: what are you still doing well? what do you still need help or assistance with in regards to your writing? 

1. Write about the reading we did and your skill at being a reader. What pieces did you most enjoy/which pieces or texts were difficult for you? Why?  

1. Write about specific writing problems you have faced (and overcome)  

1. Write about Ms. Gamzon’s and Mr. Craddock’s class – what parts did you most enjoy, which parts did you least enjoy? What might we be able to do to provide a better learning environment for you? 

NOTE: do not complain for the sake of complaining, but actively examine what you felt you did and learned in these classes in the past semester. Complain to your family and friends, not in your self-evaluation. 

1. Make a goal. What would you like to work on in the next semester?  

1. Finally, grade yourself. What grade would you give YOURSELF as a writer this semester? Why? Defend your answer.

Your portfolio will be collected Monday, January 25 in Ms. Gamzon's class.

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading of Fences. Create your character sketch. Follow the instructions above. There will be a quiz Monday on the play when we come back from midterms. You should know the basic plot, characters, characterization, key symbols, and structure of the play.