Girl, Stolen

Use this activity to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Character Analysis”

In this activity, students will analyze the effect of the novel’s shifting point of view by rewriting a scene from the other character’s perspective.

The point of view in the novel alternates between Cheyenne and Griffin’s perspectives up to Chapter 23, when the perspective remains with Cheyenne for several chapters. The pattern provides readers with insights that might not have been gained through a single point of view. In this activity, you will pick a scene (1-2 pages in length) and rewrite it from the perspective of the other character.

• To begin, select a scene in which both Cheyenne and Griffin are present and engage in dialogue. Chapters 2-4, 6, 10, 11-14, and 16-19 offer possible choices.
• Rewrite the scene from the perspective of the other character. Be sure to consider the character’s thoughts, actions, and reactions as filtered through his or her unique personality.
• When you have rewritten your scene, share it with a partner and discuss how the opposite perspective changes the reader’s understanding.
• Finally, write a reflection of 1-2 paragraphs connecting your takeaways from the revised scene and your discussion to the theme of Seeing Things From a Different Perspective.

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to introduce this assignment at the beginning of the novel so students can think about the scenes they might want to select as they read.

Differentiation Suggestion: Visual learners might wish to create their revised scene as a cartoon strip or a section of a graphic novel. You may want to encourage them to brainstorm details in the scene that would likely be noticed by the character whose point of view they have chosen.