Creating a Dickensian Character

Hello Bloggers!

Today's task is the last one for our blog. I am inviting you to express your creativity and talent in stepping into Dickens' shoes, and creating a character you will add to Great Expectations.

You will have the opportunity to create your very own caricature fitting the style and fantasy of Dickens himself.





Before you embark on this, let's take a look at what caricatures are and what purposes they serve:

A caricature can refer to a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.

Caricatures can be insulting or complimentary and can serve a political purpose or be drawn solely for entertainment. Caricatures of politicians are commonly used in editorial cartoons, while caricatures of movie stars are often found in entertainment magazines.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caricature)

Dickens and the art of characterization

While lower and middle-class life in the 19th century London inspires Dickens, it does not inspire him to give a realistic portrait of it. His settings are realistic but their central figures are first and foremost the characteristics of Dicken's fantastic imagination, not at all like the reality!

Dickens was fascinated by the grotesque and he transformed and distorted characters by using exageration (for example) to make his characters alive. (Adapted from Cecil - Early Victorian Novelist)

HOW TO CREATE A DICKENSIAN CHARACTER:

Try to use all or most of the following in creating your character. You should not do it in point-form, but rather in parapraphs, just like Dickens would.

• A Dickensian name, with a dramatic/an unusual entrance into the story.


• Definition of the character by negation (for e.g you will say she was not tall instead of saying she was short)


• Physical description of character, features of dress, and any particularities you wish to add
• A characteristic mannerism (i.e a habit - like Jaggers washing his hands) that would make this character more interesting.


• The circumstances under which Pip comes across this character.


• A dialogue between Pip and your character.

You have to mention at which point this character is introduced in the text - for example: Pip was on a stroll when he bumped into ..... (your character)

You can write in the 1st person narrative either from Pip's perspective, or your character's perspective, provided you make it clear to your readers who the narrator is.

If you want to add a visual of your character, you can either draw one yourself, or create a caricature online (google search:create your own caricature free) then add the image to your post.

Happy Blogging

Ms Expectations :)