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List of questions fiom Biana Nitchell that can be useu to help stuuents uelve ueeply
into chaiacteiization. She pioposes that we neeu to bioauen how we think about
chaiacteiization to incluue ethnic, social, anu genuei poitiayals. This list only ueals
with iacial implication, howevei, it coulu easily be auapteu to incluue social anu
genuei iepiesentations as well.

1. What aie minoiitiesmajoiities uisappioveu foi uoing.
2. Compaie minoiitiesmajoiity families. Bow aie the fatheis poitiayeu. The
motheis. What's expecteu of each of them. What aie they ciiticizeu foi.
S. Look at how majoiityminoiity women aie chaiacteiizeu. What's expecteu of
them.
4. In gioups, stuuents can uiscuss ielationships shown. What chaiacteiistics aie
shown as positive foi a male in a ielationship with a female anu vise veisa.
Aie expectations the same foi majoiityminoiity chaiacteis.
S. Is theie a uiffeience in what iaces gain social status foi (e.g., spoits,
competitiveness, ielationships).
6. Bow uoes the authoi want you to view membeis of the iaces poitiayeu.
7. Bow woulu the chaiactei have changeu if the authoi hau assigneu him oi hei
a uiffeient iace.
8. Bow uoes the authoi chaiacteiize the uiffeient iaces. Look at the chaiacteis'
speech, theii appeaiance, theii actions, oi what otheis say about them.
9. Bow uoes the language in the stoiy ieinfoiceiefute iacial steieotypes.
1u. What about the chaiactei is paiu the most attention to. Boes this vaiy among
iaces.
11. What chaiacteis seem to have the most inteiesting plans foi the futuie. Boes
this vaiy by iace.
12. Compaie the iaces iepiesenteu in the liteiatuie ieau tin teims of the
following peisonality chaiacteiistics: activepassive; selflessselfish;
iationalemotional; stableunstable; couiageousafiaiu; iisk-
takeicompliei; aggiessivenonaggiessive; challengingobeuient; low neeu
foi fiienushiphigh neeu foi fiienuship; competitivenuituiing (fiequently
vieweu as opposites in society).
1S. Which of the main chaiactei's expeiiences weie ielateu to the chaiactei's
iace.
14. Which of the main chaiactei's expeiiences aie similai to ones you have hau.
Why uo you think this is tiue.
1S. Which of the main chaiactei's expeiiences will you piobably nevei have.
Why.


Retiieveu Fiom: Nitchell, B. (1998). Connecting with stuuents thiough multicultuial
young auult novels. In }. E. Biown & E. C. Stephens (Eus.) !"#$%& #" &#(%)*#$+, !*#"-
./0$#1/0$/)20 +3/"- 2&/0$ 0#$%)2$/)% #" $4% 102**)33. (pp. 16S-176). 0ibana, IL:
National Council of Teacheis of English.