The purpose of a character analysis essay is to not only demonstrate to your instructor that you have read an assigned story or novel, but also to enhance your knowledge and awareness of the psychological factors that make people “tick.” This, in turn, can lead to an analysis of your own attitudes and behaviors in similar circumstances and help you to recognize who or what influences the future choices you will make in school, at work or in relationships.

1. Select a character who interests you. The opening paragraph of your essay should introduce who this character is, briefly explain what her role is in the story and why you have chosen to analyze her personality. Example: “The character I have chosen for study from Eileen Favorite’s novel, ‘The Heroines,’ is Penny Entwhistle, a rebellious teen whose mother runs a boarding house frequented by feisty females straight from the pages of fiction. Not only do I personally relate to what it’s like having parents who do weird things, but I’m also an avid reader and have often wondered what I’d say and do if my own favorite book characters ever came to life.”
2. Define your chosen character in terms of whether he is the protagonist (hero), antagonist (villain), supporting player (a helpmate of either the hero or villain) or a catalyst. A catalyst character (also referred to as an agent for change) often does not participate directly in any of the action, but instead fulfills the role of inspiring the lead character to take up a cause or quest he might otherwise not have pursued (for example, Spider-Man’s kindly uncle who gets killed early in the story would fit this definition).
3. Make a list of your character’s positive traits as well as the weaknesses and flaws that he must overcome throughout the course of the story. Keep in mind that heroes are never 100 percent “good,” and villains are never 100 percent “bad.” Accordingly, if you choose to analyze the personality of the villain (for example, Iago in “Othello”), identify specific influences and events that led this person down a path of evil.
4. Identify your character’s core quest. The quest is what makes up the conflict, creates and fuels the friction between your character and her opponent(s) and drives the action forward. Quests are based on reward, revenge, escape or a combination of these. Explain why this quest is so important to your character (for example, avenging a loved one, getting a date to the dance, starting over in a new country) as well as (1) what she would be willing to risk or sacrifice to achieve it, and (2) what the cost will be if she is unsuccessful. Examine whether you think her actions are commensurate with the perceived value of the quest.
5. Pay sharp attention to the subtext of your character’s actions and what they really say about him. Provide examples. For instance, a character who volunteers to take care of an elderly relative might seem on the surface to be generous and kind, but he actually has an agenda to put himself in a position of favoritism for the future disbursement of her estate. Another example is a character who won’t spend a dime on herself and yet is going into debt buying toys for her cats.
6. Discuss the character’s interactions with others and whether the character treats them as superiors, peers or subordinates. Assess whether these interactions are consistent with or contrary to your expectations of their assigned roles. For example, the expectation might be that a lady’s maid would be respectful, quiet and meek in the presence of her employer, and yet the character has been written as someone who is arrogant, loud, and bossy and is able to get away with these behaviors without any reprimand.
7. Look for the symbolism of objects associated with the character and discuss (1) why these objects are important, and (2) what they say about the owner’s personality, memories and vulnerabilities. For example, a woman who always wears a seemingly worthless locket might do so because it’s the only item she associates with her mother; to remove it would be to leave the comfort zone of still thinking of herself as a child instead of an adult.
8. Evaluate the character’s actions and reactions in the context of the book’s historical or cultural setting. For example, you might explain that a person in the 21st century who doesn’t like the way something is being done has more freedom to change the situation than a character of the same age in your book who is living in the 16th century and is a girl.
9. Describe the conflict’s resolution in terms of the character’s emotional or spiritual growth. This is called the character arc and refers to the ways in which the individual has evolved during the course of the story. Some characters don’t experience an arc at all and are basically the same at the end of a book as they were at the beginning. Others, however, are strengthened, inspired or humbled by the challenges they have faced. A farmer who has always been a pacifist, for example, might be transformed into an activist if horrific events suddenly cause him to question the cost of staying silent.
10. Compare what you have learned about the character to your own personality profile in terms of what you admire, what you dislike and whether you would have followed the same course of action. For example, a character who betrays her best friend to get what she wants will have imparted a lesson to you about what’s really important in life. Address how the book has validated or changed your opinions.

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A literary essay explains the contextual meaning behind a piece of literature while paying attention to specific details, such as structure and style. This essay form also gives its author a chance to argue complex points in the text by comparing his viewpoint to critical analysis of the piece. The structure of a literary essay is a series of paragraphs stating, building upon, and proving, then reiterating your points in a conclusion.

Organizing a Literary Essay

1. Read the piece of literature you will be writing about. Reread any sections that are confusing. Take notes on notecards about major elements of the text, including structure, style, point of view, plot and subplot.
2. Read books and articles that discuss various aspects and opinions of the piece of literature you are writing about. Arrange notecards in front of your work area while you study these critical texts. Write down and even highlight any points in the critical texts that you want to incorporate into your essay.
3. Arrange notecards in front of your after you are finished reading the text and any critical analysis of the text from other sources. Include the name of the author an title of the text you are citing on your notecards. Choose a point of view that you would like to expand on about the piece of literature.
4. Write a topic, or thesis sentence, that makes it clear to your audience the text you are studying and the viewpoint you will be discussing. The scope and argument of your viewpoint, and whether it supports the critical analysis or refutes it, will determine the length and structure of your literary essay. Refer to your notecards about the text and the analysis as you write.
5. Arrange your essay in a paragraph structure. Though similar to the more elementary five-paragraph essay form, the literary essay takes longer to explain and develop its point. Write two to three opening paragraphs about your viewpoint and to alert readers on what specific aspects of the text you will discuss in the body of the essay.
6. Write multiple paragraphs, depending on the scope of your theme, to argue your viewpoint about the text. Analyze the analysis, deepen the reader’s understanding of the text, highlight specific plot points, argue for or against other analysis.
7. Write concluding paragraphs to end the essay, making sure to reiterate your viewpoint and add an additional fact or two about the literary text. Include a works cited page at the back of your essay to list all the source materials researched for your essay.

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Potential employers, educators and other organizations provide aptitude tests for potential candidates. These tests gauge the intelligence and skills of the taker during a specific amount of time. Most aptitude tests are not completed in the allotted amount of time, but participants are expected to complete as much of them as possible. The tests are on general or employment-related topics and include multiple-choice answers. Participants take these tests on a computer most of the time, but some take it on paper using a pencil.

Discover what will be included on the aptitude test you will be taking. You can do so by simply asking the administrator what is on the aptitude test. Do research to determine sample questions for the type of industry you are taking the test for. You can also find sample aptitude tests that you can take to determine your strong and weak points. Do this daily until it is time to take the aptitude test.

Study sentence structure and basic English writing formatting for paragraphs, essays and speaking. Pay attention to how each sentence flows and the correct way of speaking without using slang or uncommon words. Verbal ability questions determine the participant’s grammar, understanding of analogies and ability to follow instructions. These tests help employers determine how proficient you are in communication. Data checking tests require participants to search for errors specifically for clerical-type jobs, and this study method is common for this section.

Practice basic and advanced math that includes charts for the numeric ability tests. These tests are generally basic, but they may include some advanced math and charts. Brush up on things you learned in high school and take time to learn new things that may have been confusing to you in the past.

Read instruction manuals for basic appliances around your home and search online for manuals for products you do not own. Following recipe instructions can also be beneficial to studying for this test. Abstract reasoning portions of the test have questions to determine your logic and solutions to questions. These questions determine your intelligence and ability to learn new things.

Reassess your personal knowledge concerning physics for the mechanical reasoning test. These tests assess your mechanical knowledge concerning topics including inertia, force, energy and friction. Study books about the movement of the human body and books about how magnets work. Utilize the time until your test to study and understand physics terms and how they apply to everyday life.

Study electronic diagrams concerning your chosen field of work if you plan to become an electrician or enter a mechanical field. Fault diagnosis questions determine how participants find issues and fix problems concerning electronics or mechanics.

Research the field you plan to enter and the company you wish to work for. Break the job title down and determine your expected duties. Work sample tests include scenarios of work situations and conflicts and how well the user can handle it. Knowing and understanding your potential job responsibilities will prepare you for this portion of the test.

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