Name: ______________________________
Character Types Worksheet 1
Directions: Read the short story. Pay close attention to the characters. Respond to the questions that
follow.
"Let me get your brownie," Jawanna barked at Maria as she towered over her in the lunchroom. Maria did not
want to give Jawanna her brownie. She wanted to eat it for herself, but Jawanna was the biggest girl in the grade
and also the meanest, and Maria was one of the smallest. Sliding the tray toward Jawanna, Maria replied, "Sure,
Jawanna. I wasn't going to eat it anyway."
After Jawanna left, Maria's friend Jessica turned toward her, "Why didn't you tell her to go somewhere?" Maria
sighed, felt sick to her stomach, and replied, "Yeah right, and get pounded? No thanks." Jessica put her arm
around her friend's shoulder, "Look, Maria, if you don't stick up for yourself, Jawanna is going to be eating off of
you for a long time." Maria considered Jessica's advice for a moment and then responded, "Well, brownies are
fattening anyway. Maybe if I give her enough dessert, she'll clog her arteries and have a heart attack." The girls
chuckled at this but Maria still felt sick to her stomach.
The next day at school, Jawanna was walking to the pencil sharpener when she noticed that Maria was using a
mechanical pencil. "Hey Maria, let me hold that pencil." Maria looked down at her mechanical pencil. It had
kitties and stars on it and she liked it very much. She replied, "I can't, Jawanna. It's my last one." Jawanna put one
hand on her hip, sneered at Maria, and said, "Well, you've gotten to use it quite a bit. I haven't gotten to use it at
all. Can't you see that's unfair?" Maria gulped, "Um, yeah, I guess I can see that. Here, you can use it for now, but
maybe I can get it back at the end of the day," replied Maria as she handed Jawanna her pencil. Jawanna used the
mechanical pencil with the kitties and the stars on it until the end of the day while Maria used a cheap wooden
pencil. When the bell rang, Jawanna brought over Maria's pencil in several pieces and dropped it on her desk.
"Here's your pencil. It's not working," Jawanna said, holding back her giggles as she left.
After their teacher, Ms. McMillan, dismissed the students, she said, "Maria, can I see you for a minute?" Maria's
stomach sank as she approached the stern woman. Ms. McMillan was tough and the last thing that Maria wanted
was to get into more trouble. Sensing Maria's feelings, Ms. McMillan put a hand on her shoulder, "It's OK, Maria.
You're not in trouble. I just wanted to share something with you." Maria exhaled as Ms. McMillan continued.
"When I was your age, I was relentlessly bullied by a girl named Carrie Carter." Maria looked at her with
surprise. "You were?" She asked. Maria couldn't imagine that a person as strong as Ms. McMillan had been
bullied. "I was," Ms. McMillan replied. "Carrie bullied me every day. I gave her my lunch money, I did her
homework for her, and I even let her call me cruel nicknames." Maria could not believe what she was hearing.
Ms. McMillan continued, "This went on for years until my mother got sick. That was a pivotal moment in my life.
When I saw my mom in that condition, I learned that I had to be strong in life. I stopped giving Carrie the lunch
money that my mother worked so hard to give me. I stopped doing her homework for her and used the extra time
to help my mom. Carrie still called me names though. She called me worse names, but that was because she
needed me to be weak, and I had grown strong." Maria looked down. Ms. McMillan continued, "True strength
comes from inside of you, Maria. Think about that tonight."
Maria considered Ms. McMillan’s words as she walked home. She thought about it as she ate dinner, while she
did her homework, and before she went to sleep. The next morning on the school playground, Jawanna ran up to
her. "Look, Maria, I didn't do my homework last night, and we all know that you did yours, because you're a nerd,
so I need you to do mine too. O.K.? Thanks." Maria got off the bench she was sitting on next to Jessica. She put
one hand on her hip and replied, "Actually, Jawanna, I don't really have time for that now. In fact, I don't have
time for that ever again." Maria stared Jawanna in the face and a split second before Jawanna put on her sneer
Maria caught a glimpse of her fear.
Jawanna pushed Maria into the wood chips. Jessica stood up from her seat on the bench right when Ms. McMillan
appeared from behind. "Jawanna, you bring your butt on down to the office," she said while throwing her thumb
in the direction of the school building. As Jawanna walked off with her head hung low, Ms. McMillan helped
Maria up off the ground and said, "I'm proud of you, girl." Maria smiled. Her tailbone was a little sore, but her
stomach felt fine.
1. Which character is best described as the protagonist? ______________________________________
Explain your answer.
2. Which character is best described as the antagonist? _______________________________________
Explain your answer.
3. Is Jessica a static or dynamic character? ________________________________________________
Explain your answer.
4. Is Jessica a round or flat character? ____________________________________________________
Explain your answer.
5. Is Maria a static or dynamic character? _________________________________________________
Explain your answer.
6. Is Maria a round or flat character? _____________________________________________________
Explain your answer.
7. Is Jawanna a static or dynamic character? _______________________________________________
Explain your answer.
8. Is Jawanna a round or flat character? ___________________________________________________
Explain your answer.
9.Is Ms. McMillanan antagonist? _______________________________________________________
Explain your answer.
10. Is Carrie Carter a dynamic character? ______________________________+_________________
Explain your answer.
