Analyzing The Tale of Despereaux

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AnalyzingThe Tale of Despereaux
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What does it mean to analyze?

• to separate into parts or elements determine the
  elements or essential features of something.
• to examine critically, so as to bring out the
  essential elements or give the essence of.
• to examine carefully and in detail so as to
  identify causes, key factors, possible results,
  etc.
• http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/analyze

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To analyze characters in The Tale of Despereaux
we need to examine

• Traits
  
• Motivations
• Conflicts
• Point of View
• Relationships
• Changes they undergo

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What are character traits?

• These can be adjectives that you would use to
  describe a character.
• Examples funny, scary, tough, sensitive,
  obedient, rebellious, doubtful, boring,
  secretive, selfish, energetic, devious, bossy,
  and calm

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What are motivations?

• Motivation is why someone acts the way they do.
• Is it always obvious what someones motivation
  is?
• Can motivation change?

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What are conflicts?

• Struggles
• Disagreements
• Things that go wrong

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4 Types of Point of View

• Objective
• Third Person
• First Person
• Omniscient and Limited Omniscient
• http//www.learner.org/interactives/literature/rea
  d/pov2.html

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What are relationships?

• How characters are related
• How they interact with each other
• What characters have shared

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Changes characters undergo

• This can be anything from aging to shifting
  beliefs. This can include birth, death, learning,
  and forgiving.

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Main Characters

• Devereaux Tilling
• Roscuro
• Miggery Sow
• Princess Pea

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Secondary Characters

• Despereauxs family
• King Phillip
• Botticelli Remorso
• Cook
• Gregory the Jailer

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Analyzing Despereaux

• Traits Imaginative and brave
• Motivations Music and love
• Conflicts Mouse society
• Relationships His family and Princess Pea
• Changes Learns to read and stand up for himself
• http//www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1854014233/
  
• Does Despereaux have any weaknesses? What do you
  like most about him?

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Analyzing Roscuro

• Traits Clever and heartbroken
• Motivations Light and revenge
• Conflicts Light and darkness
• Relationships Botticelli and Miggery
• Changes Seeks light, uses darkness
• What does Chiaroscuro make you think of?

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Analyzing Miggery Sow

• Traits Simple and hopeful
• Motivations Desire to be a princess
• Conflicts No one cares what she wants
• Relationships Uncle and Roscuro
• Changes Ears become cauliflowers
• http//www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2743272217/
  
• What does Miggery really want?

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Analyzing Princess Pea

• Traits Compassionate and gentle
• Motivations Love
• Conflicts Fathers expectations and laws
• Relationships Despereaux and Miggery
• Changes Learns about vulnerabilities
• http//www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1635910425/
  
• What has Princess Pea learned?

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Analyzing Despereauxs family

• Traits Conforming and cautious
• Motivations Food and survival
• Conflicts Despereauxs differences
• Relationships Mouse society
• Changes Lester, the father, changes. How?
• http//www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1870791449/
  
• How do the members of his family differ?

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Analyzing King Phillip

• Traits Foolish and loving
• Motivations Grief and justice
• Conflicts Death of the Queen
• Relationships Princess Pea and the Queen
• Changes Vacillates between acceptance and
  non-acceptance
• http//www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2760049433/
  
• Do you know anyone like the King?

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Analyzing Botticelli Remorso

• Traits Predatory and hateful
• Motivations Cause suffering and power
• Conflicts Roscuros yearning for light
• Relationships Rat society
• Changes None
• Does Botticelli change? Why or why not?

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Analyzing Cook

• Traits Tough and impatient
• Motivations Efficiency and nuturing
• Conflicts Can not make soup and struggles with
  Miggery
• Relationships Loiuse and Miggery
• Changes Becomes tolerant after making soup
• Why is soup so important to Cook?

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Analyzing Gregory the Jailer

• Traits Wise, industrious, mournful
• Motivations Loves stories and seeks safety
• Conflicts Rats and darkness
• Relationships Rats , Despereaux, and Miggery
• Changes Saved Despereaux. Never saved a mouse
  before
• What, if anything, surprised you about the jailer?

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What do we understand now about The Tale of
Despereaux and its characters?

• What do we understand about themes like good vs.
  evil and the power of stories?
• What do we understand about problem resolution?
• Why did the author choose the characters she
  chose?
• Watch for differences in the movie.

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Helpful links and resources

• http//www.thetaleofdespereauxmovie.com/splash/dow
  nloads/scholastic/Despereaux_Scholastic.pdf
• http//www.teachertimesavers.com/Tale20of20Despe
  reaux.pdf
• http//www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-r
  esources/grade/3-4/