Matilda Character Description and Comparison PowerPoint.pptx

Matilda Character Description

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2. Some characters can have traits that are unexpected and make the story even more exciting! A character can be a person or animal brought to life in a film, book or play. They are developed by the writer(s) to play a key role in the story and to make it varied and interesting. Each character is often very different from another.

3. The book 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl contains a variety of intriguing characters. These characters include both children and adults (mostly parents and teachers). Each character looks, sounds and behaves in a different way; some are likeable and others are not. Three of the key characters are Matilda, Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull. Matilda Miss Honey Miss Trunchbull

4. a physical description of what the character looks like (e.g. their clothes, facial expressions, physical features, etc.) how they move and sound their personality their actions, thoughts and feelings their past experiences Character descriptions might include: Character descriptions are pieces of writing that give the reader useful information about a character’s appearance and personality. They help the reader to build a clear picture of the character in their mind’s eye.

5. Roald Dahl describes the characters in ‘Matilda’, which helps us find out answers to the following questions: What do they look and sound like? How could you describe their personality? How do they move or act? What might they be thinking and feeling? What are their past experiences? There are also fun and vivid illustrations in ‘Matilda’. These help to tell the story and show extra information about a character, especially their physical appearance. Did You Know…?

6. Her father was a dealer in second-hand cars and it seemed he did pretty well at it. His speech was never very delicate but Matilda was used to it. She also knew that he liked to boast and she would egg him on shamelessly. Mr Wormwood was a small ratty-looking man whose front teeth stuck out underneath a thin ratty moustache. He liked to wear jackets with large brightly coloured checks and he sported ties that were usually yellow or pale green. One of the characters in ‘Matilda’ is Mr Wormwood, Matilda’s father. Read the book extracts below to see what we can learn about him. Matilda, ‘Mr Wormwood The Great Car Dealer’, Copyright © 1988 Roald Dahl

7. small, ratty-looking, thin ratty moustache, front teeth stick out, wears jackets with bright checks, wears yellow or pale-green ties From these extracts, we can gather the following information about Mr Wormwood: What does he look and sound like? How could you describe his personality? boastful, easily egged on How does he move or act? acts arrogantly

8. From these extracts, we can gather the following information about Mr Wormwood: What might he be thinking and feeling? wants to boast about himself, doesn’t think about how his speech comes across to others What is his past experience? successful second-hand car dealer We can also ‘read between the lines’ and add our own ideas and vocabulary to describe the character. Can you add other information to describe the father’s characteristics?

9. Mr Wormwood is a successful, second-hand car dealer and he likes to make sure that everyone knows it! His rat-like appearance is sadly not improved by his boastful nature. He has a thin moustache, under which his front teeth stick out rather prominently. Often seen wearing jackets with brightly coloured checks accompanied by a yellow or pale-green tie, Mr Wormwood speaks with little regard for others and is unaware of how easily he is egged on by his own young daughter. Now that we have used the extracts to develop an understanding of Mr Wormwood, we can write a character description that summarises his appearance, personality and behaviour. Can you think of anything else to add to this description?

10. Matilda Miss Honey Miss Trunchbull Mrs Wormwood Choose a character from ‘Matilda’ to write your own character description. This might be: … or one of the other children who attends Crunchem Hall Primary School, such as Lavender or Bruce.

11. When we compare characters, we look for the similarities and differences between them. We think about what they have in common with each other and what makes them different. As well as describing characters, sometimes it is interesting to compare characters. The other characters in ‘Matilda’ share a few similarities with Matilda but they also all demonstrate a number of differences. The next slides will guide you through some of the points to think about when comparing the other characters with Matilda.

12. What do they look like? What types of clothing do they wear? How do they present themselves? What are their facial features and expressions like? What words and phrases could you use to describe Matilda? How would these words and phrases be different when you describe Miss Honey?

13. How do they move? How do they sound? How do they react to different situations? What are their other characteristics? What words and phrases could you use to describe Matilda? How would these words and phrases be different when you describe the behaviour and personality of Miss Trunchbull?

14. What do they enjoy doing? What do we know about their hobbies and interests? What words and phrases could you use to describe Matilda? How would these words and phrases be different when you describe Mrs Wormwood’s likes and dislikes?

15. What words and phrases could you use to describe Matilda? How would these words and phrases be different when you describe Mr Wormwood? How do they speak to others?  How do they show respect for rules? How well do they follow instructions?  How do they show that they are grateful for what they have or for what they are given?

16. When we write a comparison, we compare the similarities and differences between two things or two people. This involves comparing (finding the similarities) and contrasting (finding the differences). Here are some useful words and phrases that we can use: You will need to use more of these! Comparing (similarities) Contrasting (differences) also as well as  both equally in the same way  likewise  similarly similar to alternatively although  but   differs from however in contrast on the other hand whereas while yet

17. Both Matilda and Miss Trunchbull spend their days at Crunchem Hall Primary School. However, Matilda is polite to everyone while Miss Trunchbull is menacing to all. Similar to Matilda, Miss Honey enjoys learning. Miss Honey wears spectacles, whereas Matilda does not. Matilda’s love of reading differs from her mother’s interest in watching television. In contrast to Mr Wormwood’s boastful and arrogant behaviour, Matilda is very modest and unassuming. Here are some sentences that may inspire you when writing your own comparison:

18. Choose one of the other characters from ‘Matilda’ to compare with Matilda in your own character comparison. You could use the Venn Diagram and Word Mat to help you compare and contrast the two characters.