What theme does Milford convey through the characterization of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

What theme does Milford convey through the characterization of Natalie?

In this lesson you will learn how to determine the theme of a text by tracking the development of the main character.

Let’s Review

• The Kairos Mechanisim

by Kate Milford

• Natalie is a brave,

strong character.

• Good readers think

about what the growth or changes of a character represent.

Let’s Review

What does theme mean?

Theme = message the author is trying to convey to readers through the text

Topic:

• loyalty
• friendship
• good vs. evil
• coming of age

Themes:

• when loyalty is challenged, people can get

hurt

• the challenges and treasures of friendship
• good overcoming evil or vice versa
• coming of age and the challenges of finding

your true self

Core Lesson Identify and reread scenes that are critical to the development of the main character.

1 2 Track the main character’s growth on

a story timeline by asking “How does the main character change from scene to scene?”

3 Ask yourself, “How do these changes

fit together to reveal a theme of the text?”

Core Lesson

Identify and reread scenes that are critical to the development of the main character. Which scenes are really important to Natalie’s character?

Important scenes:

• Natalie meets Ben & Amory
• Natalie fights with Alfred & Mike
• Natalie disobeys Mr. Trigemine in the

woods

• Natalie defeats Mr. Trigemine with the

kairos mechanism

Core Lesson

Words:

• “Where did you

come from?”

• “Are you taking

rooms there?” Actions:

• “peering”

Thoughts:

• Bad mood
• Won’t be

disregarded

How does this scene develop Natalie’s character?

Core Lesson

Actions:

• hauled back fist and

threw it – Alfred

• glared
• threw it right to his

side - Mike Thoughts:

• unacceptable…

could not be permitted

• bad intentions

Words:

• none

How does this scene develop Natalie’s character?

Core Lesson

Corkscrewing fear ripped up and down the length of her spine… Natalie put both hands to her thudding heart, which now felt as if it wanted out of her body so that it could flee on its own. "Don't move," Mr. Trigemine suggested from where he leaned, unperturbed, as the din rose in volume and fury. "Stay right where you are, and you'll leave this place with a scratch and a healthy respect for what I can do, nothing more. Take one step further in any direction, and the Claffan boys will have to make do on their own." "What?" The noise that erupted next shredded the air and shook the ground. It was so loud, so awful, and so sudden that only pure terror held Natalie still.

Natalie is terrified and threatened

"Don't you move!" came Mr. Trigemine's hiss… A patch of smoke cleared yards and yards away, wisps of blue parting to reveal, for just a moment, a man in a yellow-brown coat. This man was in the act of raising his rifle to point it directly at Tom. Don't you move. - Natalie ran. She flung herself at Tom, stumbling over roots and then over larger obstacles. Tripping, she put down a hand and touched wet

• cloth. She lurched back to her feet and forced herself not to look
• down. Somewhere behind her the sutler was cursing.

She directly disobeys Mr. Trigemine to save Tom

How does this scene develop Natalie’s character?

Core Lesson

The moment she did it, she could feel that she'd done...something… It was a howl of fury and a screech of fear, shock, and disbelief, all rolled into one. No, there was something else. It felt to Natalie as if some underpinning of the world itself had come unglued and been yanked out from under them all. The sutler's feet came right off the ground and he flew backward, bent in two at the waist as if he'd been lassoed around the stomach and whoever held the other end of the rope had just given it an unimaginably strong heave. He clawed at the air, but his body bent further, further, and further still until he was folded nearly in half. Then, impossibly, he collapsed down even more, flattening until all Natalie could see were his wildly scrambling hands reaching vainly for a grip on 1913. And then those, too, were gone. How does this scene develop Natalie’s character?

• continues to

disobey Mr. Trigemine

• her actions have

a huge consequence

• defeats Mr.

Trigemine

Core Lesson

• 2. Track the main character’s growth on

a story timeline. tough, self confident, hurt and awkward with boys

Scenes Growth

inquisitive, observant, strong willed young girl Natalie meets Ben & Amory brave, gains power, learns the real danger she and her friends are in Natalie defeats Mr. Trigemine by learning to use phantasmata maintains power, becomes comfortable with herself, changes, and her powers Natalie fights with Alfred & Mike

• Mr. Trigemine takes Natalie

to the woods

Core Lesson

• 3. Ask yourself, “How do these changes

fit together to reveal a theme of the text?”

Growth

inquisitive, observant, strong willed young girl brave, gains power, learns the real danger she and her friends are in maintains power, becomes comfortable with herself, changes, and her powers

Theme: difficulties of growing up and coming of age Natalie is slowly progressing and becoming comfortable with who she is, what she can do, and how her life is changing as she grows up.

tough, self confident, hurt and awkward with boys

Core Lesson

What theme does Milford convey through the characterization of Natalie? Kate Milford uses Natalie’s character to develop the theme of “the difficulties of growing up and coming of age” in The Kairos Mechanism. The growth of Natalie shows a character that is confident, but struggling to find her place in a town filled with secrecy. Through several experiences, she has more and more opportunity to learn who she is to the town, what she can do, and how to handle all the changes and challenges in her life. Natalie’s character is inquisitive and observant during the exposition of the text. These traits show that she is confident and searching for a way to contribute to the town and show her value. After learning how to control her phantasmata and handle the changes in her life, she is much more in control and powerful, which gives her the ability to stand up to Mr. Trigemine. Through the process of learning about Mr. Trigemine and Mr. Coffret’s powers, how to control her own powers, and her ultimate defeat of Mr. Trigemine, Natalie becomes fully aware of who she is, how important she is to the town, and how her relationships with the boys have changed forever.

Core Lesson

Identify and reread scenes that are critical to the development of the main character.

1 2 Track the main character’s growth on

a story timeline.

3 Ask yourself, “How do these changes

fit together to reveal a theme of the text?”

In this lesson you have learned how to determine the theme of a text by tracking the development of the main character.