Novel Character Project
Character Questionnaire Lizzy Young
Novel Monologue Project
10th Grade Humanities
Please record these responses on a Google doc and link to your DP - this should live under “Novel Character Project.”
Start with questions that address the basics about a character:
• What is your character’s name? Does the character have a nickname?
My character’s name is Atticus Finch and his nickname is “Dad”
What is your character’s hair color? Eye color?
Atticus has graying brown hair and hazel eyes.
• What kind of distinguishing facial features does your character have?
Atticus is an older gentleman and his face shows it. He wears glasses and has
bold facial features.
• Does your character have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did he/she get them?
Atticus does not have any (mentioned) scars or birthmarks.
• Who are your character’s friends and family? Who does he/she surround herself with? Who are the people your character is closest to? Who does he/she wish he/she were closest to?
His friends are his neighbors and his family are his two kids, Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus is closest to his daughter, Scout, and wishes he was closer to his son, Jem.
• Where was your character born? Where has he/she lived since then? Where does he/she call home?
He was born in Finch’s landing in Maycomb, Alabama and has lived there his whole life.
• Where does your character go when he/she’s angry?
When he gets angry, Atticus likes to sit alone, in his office, and read something to calm him down.
• What is his/her biggest fear? Who has he/she told this to? Who would he/she never tell this to? Why?
Atticus’s biggest fear is that society will never change it’s intolerant, racist ways.
• Does he/she have a secret?
Atticus is a really good shot with a gun but never told his kids.
• What makes your character laugh out loud?
Scout’s silly, innocent questions make Atticus laugh out loud.
• When has your character been in love? Had a broken heart?
Atticus was in love with his beautiful wife and had his heart broken when she died.
Then dig deeper by asking more unconventional questions:
• What is in your character’s refrigerator right now? In his/her pockets? On his/her bedroom floor? On his/her nightstand? In his/her garbage can?
In his refrigerator, you would find mostly food that Atticus’s kids enjoy as well as any leftovers of meals Calpurnia prepared. In his pockets, Atticus always carries a pen and an extra pair of glasses. Atticus’s floor may occasionally have a book or old newspaper on the floor, but he is mostly tidy. On his nightstand Atticus has a family photo including his late wife, a clock, his glasses, a lamp, and a good book.
• Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Does he/she wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Is he/she in socks that are ratty and full of holes? Or is he/she wearing a pair of blue and gold slippers knitted by his grandmother?
Since Atticus is a lawyer. he wears dress shoes for his job, but they are not new. He has to make them last because he doesn’t have money to waste, however they look in good shape. If he is walking somewhere, as he usually does, he is wearing an old pair of shoes so his nice ones don’t wear out. If he is at home. he is wearing socks or slippers.
• When your character thinks of his/her childhood kitchen, what smell does he/she associate with it? Sauerkraut? Oatmeal cookies? Paint? Why is that smell so resonant for him/her?
His childhood kitchen smells like boys and boy things that may have belonged to his cousins, uncles, brothers or any other man at Finch’s landing.
• Your character is doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for him/her to throw out? What is difficult for him/her to part with? Why?
It is easy for Atticus to throw away things of his own like old clothes he may not need, books he doesn't want, but it would be hard for him to part with anything of his wife or kid’s.
• It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. If she/he’s eating breakfast, what exactly does he eat? If he/she’s stretching out in her backyard to sun, what kind of blanket or towel does she lie on?
On a Saturday afternoon Atticus is either working hard on a court case, or with his kids talking about the world and how it is their duty to help bring it to justice. He would be sitting in his comfy chair in the living room with Scout in his lap and Jem sitting near him listening intently. They are all sipping on cool iced tea Calpurnia kindly made for them.
• What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
Something Atticus has always remembered was when one of his brothers was bullied at school for being different. This stuck with Atticus his whole life because he didn’t think it was fair that people were treated differently and unfairly because they were different from other people.
• Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where is he/she going? What does he/she wear? Who will he/she be with?
He is going out by himself, on a walk in comfortable clothes to clear his mind and think about things
Novel Monologue Project
10th Grade Humanities
Please record these responses on a Google doc and link to your DP - this should live under “Novel Character Project.”
Start with questions that address the basics about a character:
• What is your character’s name? Does the character have a nickname?
My character’s name is Atticus Finch and his nickname is “Dad”
What is your character’s hair color? Eye color?
Atticus has graying brown hair and hazel eyes.
• What kind of distinguishing facial features does your character have?
Atticus is an older gentleman and his face shows it. He wears glasses and has
bold facial features.
• Does your character have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did he/she get them?
Atticus does not have any (mentioned) scars or birthmarks.
• Who are your character’s friends and family? Who does he/she surround herself with? Who are the people your character is closest to? Who does he/she wish he/she were closest to?
His friends are his neighbors and his family are his two kids, Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus is closest to his daughter, Scout, and wishes he was closer to his son, Jem.
• Where was your character born? Where has he/she lived since then? Where does he/she call home?
He was born in Finch’s landing in Maycomb, Alabama and has lived there his whole life.
• Where does your character go when he/she’s angry?
When he gets angry, Atticus likes to sit alone, in his office, and read something to calm him down.
• What is his/her biggest fear? Who has he/she told this to? Who would he/she never tell this to? Why?
Atticus’s biggest fear is that society will never change it’s intolerant, racist ways.
• Does he/she have a secret?
Atticus is a really good shot with a gun but never told his kids.
• What makes your character laugh out loud?
Scout’s silly, innocent questions make Atticus laugh out loud.
• When has your character been in love? Had a broken heart?
Atticus was in love with his beautiful wife and had his heart broken when she died.
Then dig deeper by asking more unconventional questions:
• What is in your character’s refrigerator right now? In his/her pockets? On his/her bedroom floor? On his/her nightstand? In his/her garbage can?
In his refrigerator, you would find mostly food that Atticus’s kids enjoy as well as any leftovers of meals Calpurnia prepared. In his pockets, Atticus always carries a pen and an extra pair of glasses. Atticus’s floor may occasionally have a book or old newspaper on the floor, but he is mostly tidy. On his nightstand Atticus has a family photo including his late wife, a clock, his glasses, a lamp, and a good book.
• Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Does he/she wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Is he/she in socks that are ratty and full of holes? Or is he/she wearing a pair of blue and gold slippers knitted by his grandmother?
Since Atticus is a lawyer. he wears dress shoes for his job, but they are not new. He has to make them last because he doesn’t have money to waste, however they look in good shape. If he is walking somewhere, as he usually does, he is wearing an old pair of shoes so his nice ones don’t wear out. If he is at home. he is wearing socks or slippers.
• When your character thinks of his/her childhood kitchen, what smell does he/she associate with it? Sauerkraut? Oatmeal cookies? Paint? Why is that smell so resonant for him/her?
His childhood kitchen smells like boys and boy things that may have belonged to his cousins, uncles, brothers or any other man at Finch’s landing.
• Your character is doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for him/her to throw out? What is difficult for him/her to part with? Why?
It is easy for Atticus to throw away things of his own like old clothes he may not need, books he doesn't want, but it would be hard for him to part with anything of his wife or kid’s.
• It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. If she/he’s eating breakfast, what exactly does he eat? If he/she’s stretching out in her backyard to sun, what kind of blanket or towel does she lie on?
On a Saturday afternoon Atticus is either working hard on a court case, or with his kids talking about the world and how it is their duty to help bring it to justice. He would be sitting in his comfy chair in the living room with Scout in his lap and Jem sitting near him listening intently. They are all sipping on cool iced tea Calpurnia kindly made for them.
• What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
Something Atticus has always remembered was when one of his brothers was bullied at school for being different. This stuck with Atticus his whole life because he didn’t think it was fair that people were treated differently and unfairly because they were different from other people.
• Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where is he/she going? What does he/she wear? Who will he/she be with?
He is going out by himself, on a walk in comfortable clothes to clear his mind and think about things