Third Class

Today we looked more closely at character development. Looking again at sinefield as an example. Characters can be any one or anything with a personality or purpose. We performed a class exercise where we picked names for characters. We were each given a name. The one I was given was Tony. We were asked a series of questions about out characters,.
One obvious thing about my character: His Italian.
One thing people would recognize about him: Lots of big gold crosses.
Things that would be obvious to them selves: People are slightly intimidated by him.
Something that’s unique or special about them: His got a witty sense of humor.
Some thing they would normally do in their normal lives: eating pasta at a pizza shop.
Situation they would not normal be in: buying a computer
An environment they would normal be in: helping with the family fruit and veg shop.
An environment they would never be in: the state library.

We then had to write a story using the most interesting element.

Tony was at the family fruit and veg shop helping his dad lifting some boxes out of a truck. He took them inside and set them on the shelf. His mother was busy serving a customer so he went back to the truck. As he was walking him mother called out to him, “Tony, I needa you to go down to the statea library and taka backa these booksa for me, I donta wana geta a finea” to which Tony replied “but mumma im helping puppa with the vegetables” “helpa your muda wida da books Tony you ideot” his father demanded. “Ok puppa I will taka da van”. Tony takes the books from the bench, his mother serving another customer, pauses to tell him “Tony just puta da books downa da shoota”, “ok mumma taka load off” he remarks, “what are you still doing here stupid” yells his dad “im going im going” Tony says as he heads out the front towards the van. He opens the door and uses the handle to pull his large body into the drivers seat. He starts up the engine and indicates right before easing out onto the road. The large crucifixes suspended from the rearview mirror swing left and right as he drives in towards the city. At the moment he realizes he has never been to the state library and has absolutely no idea where it is. At this point he decides to call his brother Vince and asks him to directions. He struggles for a moment pulling out the cell phone from his pocket, his jeans tight against his fat legs, his hand is momentarily caught, but he has to let go of the phone to quickly take hold of the wheel as a car that was parked on the side of the road pulls out in front of him and cuts him off. Angrily he beeps the horn screaming and waving his arm out the window, “hey watch it you flipping idiot I nearly hit you! ” For a moment he is fixed by his frustration his mind venting, as it cools he remembers he doesn’t know where his going and reaches for the phone once again, the phone half sticking out of his pocket is a lot easier to reach for this time and he pulls it out flipping it open. “Hey Vince, its tony”, “what you want? I’m busy!” Vince snaps, “I need to find the library” “what do you want to go there for, you cant even read!”


This last exercise was designed to explore a conflict one has had in the past from the perspective of the “other”.

“A man has to work hard to make his money” I stated, it was logical this is what my father did and his father before him. Yet Tiago insisted on refuting this “, a man must learn to work smart and make his money work hard for him.” This infuriated me, who does he think he is to not have to break a sweat, I work hard for my money and so should he, “that’s exactly what’s wrong with this world, people who think like you and expect every one to do things for them”

Lastly we watched a documentary, the taming of Sméagol”, about the making of the character Gollum from lord of the rings, and how the character was explored during the making of the film.