Characters Shaped by Social Worlds (Breaking Bad and Hunger Games spoiler alert!)

One section of the Beach reading for this week that was especially useful for me was in the fourth paragraph on page 124: "students are often taught to perceive characters as individual "real people" assumed to be "outside" of or at odds with society. Interpreting characters as operating within social worlds as systems helps students recognize how characters are shaped by those systems." I think this idea can open a lot of doors for students in how they interpret reading, movies they watch, etc. For example, Breaking Bad fans may find themselves denigrating Walt for the horrendous acts he has committed and not answered for over the last several seasons. But Mike pointed out in his lecture on Macbeth yesterday that his behaviors are not arbitrary, and may not be completely unwarranted. His transformation has been catalyzed, in part, through his social interactions, such as that with his former colleagues that exploited his talents as a chemist and then cut him out once they were rewarded for their work.

Focusing on the social worlds of various characters can help students think in broader and more complex terms about their behaviors. While Katniss may seem cold-hearted for denying Peeta after the first Hunger Games, she also had to do what was necessary to survive. Making it seem like she fell in love with him in the arena would bring her more supplies from sponsors, and ensure her survival.

When thinking about character motives in The Crucible, which the Middle Years Program I am observing at Washington High School is reading, we might consider how Reverend Hale is shaped by his social world. While his investigations into the apparent witchcraft occurring in Salem seems to be bringing more terror into innocent villagers' lives, his obscure talents are finding themselves to be somehow applicable. Considering this may present the possibility of empathizing with Hale, as many of us can understand the need to have our unique skills utilized in some form or another.

Understanding characters in literature as part of a whole may create new awareness for students as they read, and therefore make multiple and varied understandings possible.