WRITING A CHARACTER ANALYSIS

"DESPERATE PATRIOTISM"

A lot has been said of how useful portfolio assessment is. I attended a preservice seminar-workshop in our local college yesterday (being a part time faculty member), and the facilitator talked about portfolio under her topic on alternative assessment. I talked to a fellow participant and I told her that I have portfolios of my senior English class. She said that she would like to see some and hopefully ask for one.

This morning, I went through one portfolio and started reading some artifacts. My attention got caught in a character analysis of Brutus in "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare. The student wrote that Brutus may have good intentions but his way of achieving that end was not at all acceptable. (Sounds like the end does not justify the means.) Brutus was for the good of Rome, but the people saw only his role in the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Through his reflection, the student was able to see Brutus in Trillanes, one of the leaders of the failed coup attempt against Pres. Arroyo. Being an intelligent student, he was able to compare well Brutus with Trillanes. What struck me most, however, is this line: Their (referring to the Magdalo soldiers) vainly rebellious act is a desperate patriotism.

I do not want to say that I did not read the character analysis when it was submitted. It was only this morning, though, that I realized how much my student has had gone through in stringing words that did not just sound poetic but were very apt to that particular sad past of Philippine politics. I liked so much his words that indeed he was right to include the character analysis as one of his showcase portfolio artifacts. Definitely, the rest of the critical essay reads more than sensibly well!