CHARACTER JOURNAL

GENERAL FORMAT INFORMATION: The character journal allows you to stretch your thinking about the issues covered in this course beyond simply “watching” each episode of The Wire. It is intended as an opportunity for you to relate what you are studying about urban sociology as you observe “real” depictions of them on the screen. This also serves as a useful tool for reflecting upon concepts and experiences related to the course.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR JOURNAL ENTRIES: In general, your journal entry should have three parts: (1) a record of what you have observed or felt about your character, (2) your response or reaction to them, and (3) your assessment of the character’s development in the episode (see questions below). Your reaction should focus on relating what you saw to information from the course. Personal reactions in the journal are encouraged, but the central thrust of the response should be the relationship between what you saw the character do and the course content as much as possible.

HOW TO PROCESS OR TAKE NOTES: It is a good idea to take notes for your journal while you are watching each episode of The Wire. The best time to process is right after viewing that day, and then perhaps at any points after as you continue to think about your observations and readings. Your notes will help you to answer the character development questions listed below. Answer the character development questions after you’ve had time to review your notes and record your reactions to the episode.

LENGTH OF ENTRIES: There is no set or required length for each entry; the length should be determined by your observations and your processing of it. As you become more at ease with writing in your journal, length will become less important. You should have at least one entry for each time you watch an episode. This means you may add more entries if you watch the same episode several times as you may observe new things about your characters.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS: The questions below serve as a guide to thinking about the role, purpose, and motivations of the characters you are studying in The Wire. These questions are essential when script writers develop their storylines. This information is also essential to you especially as you become more critically aware of the issues and themes addressed in the show and how they impact on the decisions your character makes. You will notice that each question asks you about the character’s state “right now.” As you follow your character throughout the seasons, your views on their role in the story, emotions, and motivations may change. Expect this to happen. Please do not fear answering each question “correctly.” There is no right or wrong response in your journals.

1. Character Functions

What is the character’s function in this story?

Each character has at least one function or role in any story, such as:

protagonist
antagonist
best friend
love interest
confidante
partner
catalyst
mentor
comic relief

2. Character Emotions

What are the character emotions in this story?
There are three main character emotions in any story:

Sympathy (the audience identifies with the character's problems and triumphs)
Empathy (the audience understands the emotions that drive the character)
Antipathy (the audience wants the character to "get what they deserve”)

3. Character Components

What are the internal and external factors that impact on the character?

There are internal and external factors that shape each character:

Internal factors form the character (what makes him or her tick)
External factors reveal character (what makes him or her act)


4. Character Background

What do you know about your character?
Where is the character from (background)?
What was s/he doing just before this scene?
What do others say/think about this character?
What does the character say about himself/herself?

5. Character Objectives

What are the main needs and wants of the character?
In any story, an audience “judges” a character by their objectives and actions:

Super Objective (example: "Power over People")
What is the primal motivation of the character?
What are the main needs of the character?

Objectives (example: "Wants to Dominate Character A")
What does the character want (motives)?
What are the active choices to achieve the Super Objective?

Main Actions (example: "What do they DO to Character A")
Describe what the character DOES...
To get what s/he WANTS...
To fulfill her/his NEEDS

* Typically there can only be one objective per character, per scene*