Stable Prompt Characterization Notes

Characterization

• What are the main character's physical, emotional, mental, and moral traits?

Setting

• When and where does the story take place? Both physically and era.

  • A Doll's House

    • Norway, 1879 (Victorian Age)
    • Mainly Nora Helmer's house

  • Pygmalion

    • Irish/English, 1913 (Edwardian Age)
    • London: street, Higgins's house, Mrs. Higgins's at-home, ball

  • Northanger Abbey

    • English, 1818 (Regency Era, before Victorian Age)
    • Fullerton, Bath, Northanger Abbey

  • Fences

    • American, 1957-1965
    • Inner City, porch, backyard at Troy's house

Key Scenes

• What are 3 major scenes with significant events in the novel or play? Beginning, Middle, End? Other?

  • A Doll's House

    • Opening scene where Nora plays dumb to Torvald.
    • Scene where Torvald scolds her for potentially ruining his reputation.
    • End scene where she tells him the truth about their marriage and leaves him.

  • Pygmalion

    • Scene at Higgins's when Eliza Doolittle asks for help improving herself.
    • Scene at Mrs. Higgins's at-home where Eliza starts off well but slips.
    • Scene AFTER the ball when Eliza confronts/calls out Higgins.

  • Northanger Abbey

    • Her background info.
    • Her first experiences at Bath where nothing works out.
    • Her arriving at Northanger Abbey and being disappointed.
    • Henry calling her out over her wild imagination.

  • Fences

    • Troy and Cory's conversation about "Liking you?" and responsibility.
    • Troy's backstory about his youth, prison time, and baseball "career."
    • After Troy's death when we find out how much he cared for everybody.

Subjects/Topics

• What are some things the novel or play is about?

  • A Doll's House: Marriage, love, reputation, respect, gender roles, constraints of society.
  • Pygmalion: Class, gender, education, constraints of society, respect, judgment.
  • Northanger Abbey: Education, socialization, gender roles, money.
  • Fences: Race, responsibility, respect, masculinity (manhood), constraints of marriage, constraints of society.

Themes

• What is the author or playwright saying or commenting on about that topic? Moral lesson? Social commentary?

  • A Doll's House: Gender Roles, Independence, Appearance vs. Reality, Societal Expectations, Constraints of society.
  • Pygmalion: Class Differences, Gender Roles, Learning, Societal Expectations, Judgment.
  • Northanger Abbey: Education, Playing it Safe, Social Expectations, Socialization.
  • Fences: Inequality (Manhood), Race and Gender, Responsibility, Opportunities for Females, Societal Expectations.

Main Characters Traits

• Nora Helmer (A Doll's House):

  • smart/self-aware
  • moral/caring
  • loyal: to self and others

• Eliza Doolittle (Pygmalion):

  • unpolished
  • ignorant (not dumb) doesn't know
  • respectable

• Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey):

  • naive/innocent
  • idealistic
  • tactful- has good manners/socially aware

• Troy Maxson (Fences):

  • hypo/critical
  • stern and stubborn
  • responsible