Storyboarding is an excellent way to show character development over time. Esperanza changes greatly in response to the many challenges she faces throughout the book. Students can create storyboards to compare and contrast Esperanza’s character qualities at the beginning and end of the book. Have students depict a scene from the beginning of the novel that shows a contrasting character trait from a scene later in the novel. Below each scene, students can explain the character quality that Esperanza demonstrates through her thoughts, words, or actions.
An alternative way of addressing this character development could be to create a cause and effect storyboard, using the left column of the T-chart to illustrate the cause that leads to the character development depicted on the right.
| Beginning | End |
|---|---|
| When Esperanza is traveling on the train to Los Angeles, she selfishly refuses to allow a little girl to touch her doll. She thinks the little girl is too poor and dirty. | After she grows to know and love Isabel, Esperanza selflessly gives away her precious birthday doll from Papa. |
| On El Rancho de las Rosas, Esperanza dislikes crocheting and complains that it is boring. | After Mama falls ill, Esperanza spends her rare free time crocheting Abuelita's blanket as a sign of love for Mama. Esperanza has learned patience. |
| At the beginning of the book, Esperanza tells Miguel that she and he stand on different sides of the river, referring to her high social position and his low one. When Miguel tries to hold her hand in a friendly way, Esperanza pulls away. | By the end of the book, Esperanza appreciates Miguel as her equal. She reaches out to hold his hand while they listen to the earth's heartbeat. |
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Student Instructions
Depict contrasting moments in the novel, to show how Esperanza changes over the course of the book.