The Outsiders:

Creating Body Biographies!

Your goal for this project is to use symbolism to represent one major character from The Outsiders in a visual biography. Both inside and outside of the character’s body, you should use symbols, pictures, colors, poems, quotes from the book, etc. to accurately portray your character and the changes and conflicts that he/she faces throughout the book. Your group will present the body bio and must explain and defend the choices you made and help us understand the symbols you created. Your group will receive a classwork grade based on your picture and presentation, and the best body bios will be put on display. So BE CREATIVE, and make it pretty! Use the following suggestions (and feel free to come up with your own!) to create a body biography of a selected character with your group:

  • Placement– Carefully choose the placement of your text and artwork. For example, the area where your character’s heart would be might be good for illustrating important relationships in his/her life.
  • Heart -What should it look like, and what shape, color, pictures, or symbols should be included in it?
  • Backbone–The backbone is discussed as what motivates a character. What is the most important goal for your character? What drives his/her thoughts and actions? Illustrate these ideas on the backbone.
  • Virtues & Vices– What are your character’s most admirable qualities? Worst qualities? How can you make us visualize them?
  • Color – Colors are often symbolic. What color(s) do you most associate with your character? Why? How can you work these colors into your portrait?
  • Symbols – What objects can you associate with your character that illustrates the person he/she is? Are there objects mentioned in the story itself that you could use? Choose objects/images that show his/her character.
  • Poems – Create a quick rhyming poem that tells us something about your character, and decide where to place it on his/her body (or around it).
  • Mirror, Mirror… - Consider how your character appears to others on the surface and what you know about his/her inner self. Do these images clash or correspond? How can you represent this through placement on the picture?
  • Changes – How has your character changed throughout the story? Trace these changes within your text and/or artwork.
  • Quotations– Place a few direct quotes from the book that sum up your character and add to an understanding of him/her.
  • The Background - Draw some elements that suggest your character’s environment, background, and/or conflict.
  • The Feet– On what is the character standing? This should be a symbolic representation of his/her most fundamental beliefs about life.