In the City: New Zealand Short Stories

Character - Fiction Grid

Read the descriptors about each character on the left and place a tick in the appropriate box. Find a quotation from the story that supports the descriptor about the character and then explain the meaning of the quotation.

‘Journey’

Descriptors	The old man	The councilor	Quotation from the story to support the descriptor	Meaning	
Example
traditional			“It was good. Good. Same old taxi same old stinks.”	The old Maori man feels comfortable and confident in his hometown before he sets off on his journey.	
Prejudiced

					
Importance placed on ‘family needs’

Loves the land as if it were an old friend

Interested in using the land for development

Feels lost and confused in the big city

‘Big Brother, Little Sister’

Descriptors	Hema	Janey	Uncle 
Pera	Wiki	Quotation from the story to support the descriptor	Meaning	
Example
desperate					(Hema) “In desperation, he picked up a stone and pretended to throw it at her.”
(Janey) “She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes with determination and launched herself at him.”
(Wiki) “On the other side of the door, Hema and Janey heard her clawing at their father.”	Hema and Janey were desperate to leave the house where Uncle Pera had beaten Hema.

Wiki was desperate to get away from her husband when he was beating her.	
Weak

							
Defenseless

							
Hopeful

							
Brave

							
Feels lost and confused in the big city

							
Brutal