My Character

8/31/2022

Daily Literary Quote
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Journal Prompt
What does Dr. King mean by the famous quote above? What is character? Can it be seen? How does “character” relate to fictional “characters”? Provide specific examples.

67 Comments

Piper

8/31/2022 12:14:45 pm

Character is how someone acts when no one is watching. It is how someone is defined by their actions not by the way they look. Character can be seen in day to day life and how they react to situations that happen to them. "Character" relates to fictional characters because when fictional characters go through challenges, we can see how it affects the way they act afterwards and how they deal with it.

Haylee

8/31/2022 12:20:51 pm

I like how you said "character is how someone acts when no one is watching".

Anika

8/31/2022 12:21:17 pm

I didn't think about what the character does when no one is around. That is a good point.

jace teller

8/31/2022 12:21:57 pm

i totally agree with you

Erin Jones

8/31/2022 12:23:13 pm

I didn't even think about how someone acts without someone watching.

Logan

8/31/2022 12:24:38 pm

Spot on!

Maren

8/31/2022 12:24:47 pm

I think that you worded this perfectly.

Anna

8/31/2022 12:26:49 pm

This is very true.

Haylee

8/31/2022 12:15:45 pm

He means that he wants his kids to grow up in a world of equality. Character is there personality and how they may act. The relation is that it can show how the are by how they act. For example in a book of a girl is mean to another girl in a book you can tell that there are mean by the way they act.

Tristan Cooper

8/31/2022 12:20:15 pm

This is almost exactly what i said in my response.

bella

8/31/2022 12:27:57 pm

You explained character really well.

Makenna

8/31/2022 12:39:30 pm

I like how you did the relation that you did.

Westley Lanning

8/31/2022 12:16:27 pm

He means that one day he hopes that his children wont be judged by their skin and based on how they are as a person.

jace teller

8/31/2022 12:20:36 pm

Not just how they are but also their work ethic and how they react.

Trevan Seybold

8/31/2022 12:21:50 pm

I agree, he hopes people see them as their identity and personality instead of only skin color.

Moses Taylor

8/31/2022 12:23:07 pm

What do you mean by "as a person?"

Erin Jones

8/31/2022 12:25:12 pm

Right, he hopes that his children won't be judged by racial means but by how they act as individuals.

jace teller

8/31/2022 12:18:23 pm

He hoped that someday people would only judge someone of their personality and self worth instead of their color.

Tristan Cooper

8/31/2022 12:21:35 pm

I like the way you worded your statement about his quote.

trevan Seybold

8/31/2022 12:24:08 pm

I agree, personality is the only thing that should really be judged at all and not something they can't control.

Anna

8/31/2022 12:27:39 pm

I like what you said about someone's self worth.

Westley Lanning

8/31/2022 12:27:50 pm

I agree

brianna

8/31/2022 12:29:41 pm

well said, completely agree

Tristan Cooper

8/31/2022 12:18:50 pm

He wants to help create a world is even and fare in the game of life. Character is something that defines you as a person it could be how you look or how you act. Character can be seen in any move. a persons character is someone that has a certain body language and talks a certain way which defines them as a person and shows they are different than everyone else.

Haylee

8/31/2022 12:22:02 pm

I like the way you stated this comment.

Anika

8/31/2022 12:22:55 pm

The way you said, "a certain body language", is a great thought when it comes to explaining what a character is or what it means.

Moses Taylor

8/31/2022 12:25:42 pm

Is character defined only by body language?

Maren

8/31/2022 12:26:24 pm

I think that you explained this very well.

Hannah

8/31/2022 12:27:25 pm

Do you think character is defined or can it be interchangeable?

Colton Platz

8/31/2022 12:30:36 pm

That's a good point that it can be seen through body language

bri

8/31/2022 12:30:57 pm

your statement was very well said, and gave a clear runderstanding.

Hannah Rich

8/31/2022 12:19:08 pm

I think Dr. King is meaning that he hopes for a better future for his kids than the one he got. I think character is the mix of personality and cognitive thinking. The way people think and act should be judged, not the way one looks. I think in some ways it can be seen through someone's actions, mostly how that person treats other people. I think character relates to fictional characters because fictional characters, specifically in books, are not seen. We make them up in our mind and can only clarify their personality through the authors descriptions of their actions and such. From day one, we see Harry Potter's Uncle as a bad guy because of the way he treats Harry Potter. Its his character.

Piper

8/31/2022 12:24:00 pm

I like how you brought cognitive thinking into it. Actions definitely speak louder than words.

Aspen smith

8/31/2022 12:25:32 pm

I really like how you explained this.

Liberty Sommers

8/31/2022 12:33:44 pm

I like how you mentioned that our opinion will primarily based on the authors perspective.

Trevan Seybold

8/31/2022 12:19:24 pm

What he means by character is kind of like your personality, it is what makes you and what you really are to other people, not looks, gender, age, color, but what you like and how people think about you as a person. Fictional characters all have their own identity in their own ways, we are like that in a way. None of us are the exact same and we all give a different picture that makes us unique.

Riley J

8/31/2022 12:20:28 pm

That is an interesting point of view, I had not though of that.

Olivia Swope

8/31/2022 12:27:12 pm

This makes a lot of sense.

Makenna

8/31/2022 12:40:47 pm

I love your definition of character!

Riley J

8/31/2022 12:19:44 pm

Martin Luther King Jr. was saying that he wishes for his children and future generations can grow up in an environment that is not discriminatory against skin color, where instead people are judged by what kind of person they are. Character can refer to the way someone acts or how they represent themselves to people. Character can be shown through people's body language so yes sometimes it can be seen. Some fictional characters also show their "character" through how they act and respond to situations and events.

Westley Lanning

8/31/2022 12:24:56 pm

Well worded

Riley Sommers

8/31/2022 12:26:09 pm

I agree with you that character can be seen through body language.

Janna

8/31/2022 12:28:16 pm

I agree with what you are saying. Do you think the world still discriminates against skin color?

Anika

8/31/2022 12:20:01 pm

He is writing about how our world was in a bad place when it came to race. People judged people by the way they looked and he has a wish that one day it won't be like that anymore. A character is a person's personality and not just what they look like. It is who they are as a person. Each character in a movie or book has a role, the character is referring to their name but not because it is just a name, but what part they are in addition to the story. For example, in the TV series, The Flash, Barry who is "The Flash", is called the flash because he can fix a situation in a flash or be present to help with a situation in a flash.

Olivia Swope

8/31/2022 12:27:44 pm

I havent noticed that before!

Maren

8/31/2022 12:20:44 pm

He wanted our nation to understand that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, what matters is your character which is who you really are. You can see someone's character by how they treat people and react to things. You can see the character of fictional people by how they act as well.

Erin Jones

8/31/2022 12:21:17 pm

I believe what Martin Luther King Jr. meant by this quote is that people will judge each other based on their behavior and personality and not by racial means. Character is how some one acts and process the world. Character can be seen by everyone. You can based the character of some one to how a fictional character may act or process.

Piper

8/31/2022 12:26:15 pm

Very well said.

Moses Taylor

8/31/2022 12:21:27 pm

Dr. King wanted to raise his children in an America that is not segregated by race, but one where they were judged by their actions. A person's character is a product of their actions day-to-day and their personality, which allows others to predict their responses to different situations. As we read a book or watch a movie, we gain an understanding of a character's actions by their character. For example, if a person tends to react negatively to surprises or emergencies and has a planning-heavy personality, they probably would not appreciate a surprise party.

Logan

8/31/2022 12:25:26 pm

Well said Moses!

Hannah Rich

8/31/2022 12:29:00 pm

I think someone's personality has a lot to do with their character. Do you think a personality can change? How would the change impact their character?

Aspen smith

8/31/2022 12:22:14 pm

The character is saying how it shouldn't affect how you act or feel by the outside of people go opinions. The character is a reflection on how you act or the vibe you give off to people so the character is you and how you show it. The fictional character is still how you view or even judge the character.The character of tinker bell is a shining personality and has a ton of curiosity that can be shown in humans and how they act.

Olivia Swope

8/31/2022 12:29:33 pm

Very true!

Janna

8/31/2022 12:23:35 pm

Character is how a person holds themselves and how they act towards other people. I believe by first look you can't see someone's character you have to spend time with that person before they show their true self. "Characters" relates to fictional characters because when a obstacle crosses their path you can see how confident one is by how they deal with an obstacle whether they work through that obstacle or decide to go a different path.

Holley

8/31/2022 12:40:18 pm

I agree with you, you can't see someone's character from the first look.

Logan

8/31/2022 12:23:50 pm

Dr. King wants his children to grow up in a world were everyone is equal. Character is how you are when no one is watching you. How situations within yourself are handled, how you may act around others, work ethics, if you can be a leader. Those things are what builds your character and what character may be. It relates to fictional characters because when we watch them, we see how they handle the situations and how it may affect them and the ones around them. For example if you are on a sports team, will you be willing to play as a team and play together, or will your character play a factor in the situation and will you be a selfish player. Our characters will show that and it will be seen by the people in the stands and on the sidelines.

Riley Sommers

8/31/2022 12:28:05 pm

I like the way you phrased everything.

Riley Sommers

8/31/2022 12:24:28 pm

Dr. King is saying that he wants people to be judged by the choices they make and not by things they can't change. Character is what you develop through life and is made by your choices and how you act. Character isn't a physical trait, but it can be seen by the way you act.

bella

8/31/2022 12:24:48 pm

Character is what a person is made up of. A person's character cannot be fully seen because the character of a person is who they are. People are basically blobs of skin and working organs with a brain. Someones character is based off of their views and values. You should view everyone as an open book until you get to speak to them and understand them as a person. Fictional characters are made depending on what makes that person who they are and the experiences that person has been through, just like in the real world.

Liberty Sommers

8/31/2022 12:40:06 pm

I like how you said that we should treat everyone as an open book until we truly know them. I totally agree!

Liberty Sommers

8/31/2022 12:25:19 pm

Character can be defined as the mental or moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Dr King is talking about his hopes for the country to achieve equality and equity for all. Character can be seen by the actions of the specific character and the morals they are run by. Fictional characters show their "character" by the decisions they make in times of pressure. An example of this can be found when Macbeth chooses to kill the king when the witches tell him his fortune. Instead of showing morals he chose to take matters into his own hand showing his true character.

Makenna Peterson

8/31/2022 12:28:33 pm

Character is how someone acts when they are comfortable being themselves and isn't trying to be someone they aren't, it's their true character (their true selves). Character can be seen through the eyes of reality, when people aren't trying to be someone they're not. "Character" can be related to fictional characters through the phases they go through after the challenges they overcome, we can see their true character coming through.

Holley

8/31/2022 12:37:57 pm

this is worded very well

Katie

8/31/2022 12:34:08 pm

Dr.King means that he wants his kids to grow up in an environment where they can act how ever they want without being harassed because they look different. A character is who someone is deep down not on the surface it is there actions, thoughts, personality, how they deal with situations, care for others. Characteristics can be seen, as in what your Waring can describe your character, I think over all characters are more shown than seen however certain things can show it.

Holley

8/31/2022 12:34:38 pm

What Dr. King means by the quote is that he wants all races to be seen as equal, the character aspect applies to who they are as a person not by how they look. Character can be seen in the way one acts, such as how they treat others.

Tayia

8/31/2022 12:38:44 pm

Saying how the world is a cold bitter place.Eveyone judges you by the tiniest imperfections. He wants to see the world a btter place so his kids dont have to live in a cold cruel world. But todays world is the same or worse. Chracter is like how someone treats another or how someone treats themselves. The character of the world is cold and bitter

bri

8/31/2022 12:39:42 pm

Martin wants his children to be seen for their successes, and personal values instead of the color of their skin. and character is what each person has been through. whatever challenges one has been through, and whatever stories a person is willing to share about themselves to others to create a image for themselves. character is based on reputation, attitude, and personal experiences. a writer creates characters by providing background stories, attitude, and achievements.

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