John Steuart Curry’s Tragic Prelude offers mentor art for teaching students character development.

Mentor texts have long been used to model writing techniques. Mentor art can likewise be used to inspire, teach, and refine student writing. Mentor art has the added benefit of addressing diverse learning styles and providing visual support to language learners. Consider introducing your students to character development with John Steuart Curry’s Tragic Prelude.

It is beneficial to let students experience a work of art on its and their own terms before using it as mentor art. This link offers teaching moves and language for introducing students to John Steuart Curry’s Tragic Prelude. Tragic Prelude is part of Curry’s mural project for the Kansas State Capitol.  Their site that offers a tour of the murals and the building. Access the link for a detailed view of Thomas Hovenden’s The Last Moments of John Brown (1884).

#1 Compare depictions of John Brown

 As he [John Brown] stepped out of the door a black woman, with her little child in arms, stood near his way. His thoughts at the moment none can know except as his acts interpret them. He stopped for a moment in his course, stooped over, and with tenderness of one whose love is as broad as the brotherhood of man, kissed it affectionately.
—Edward H. House, a special correspondent for the New York Tribune (December 5, 1859), describing Brown’s final steps to the gallows after he was convicted of treason for his attack on the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, VA.

Point out and discuss: While dramatic, this scene was fabricated. Nevertheless, it inspired poets and artists for years to come and spawned a series of paintings and prints that drew on this imagery. Thomas Hovenden’s The Last Moments of John Brown (1884) may be the most celebrated of these and, ironically, is recognized as the most historically accurate. Curry’s alternative depiction of John Brown marks a dramatic break in this artistic tradition. How is Hovenden’s depiction of John Brown different than Curry’s in Tragic Prelude?

Turn, Talk, and Report Back (Consider organizing these possible answers into a two column anchor chart with “Hovenden’s John Brown” and “Curry’s John Brown” at the head of each column: Hovenden’s John Brown looks like a kindly grandfather. He is stooped, slightly disheveled, wears slippers, and braces himself against the handrail as he dotes on the child. His white beard is Santa Claus-like. The earth tones are warm and soothing. The composition is organized around a stable pyramid. Brown identifies with the other vulnerable figures in the scene and stands in stark contrast to the soldiers who surround him with their uniforms and weapons, the glint off the bayonets make them especially menacing. Hovenden’s John Brown exudes love, tolerance, and compassion. He is peaceful. His white hair and beard envelope his head like a halo giving him a saintly disposition. This painting focuses on his cause, not his victims. Curry’s John Brown is dramatically different. He is considerably larger than the other figures, his arms extending over the scene. He gestures menacingly with a rifle in one hand and a sword on his hip. Confrontation is all around him as opposing forces face off. Dead soldiers lie at his feet. The focus is more on the conflict than the cause. While blacks are shown they are lost in the shadows in the background. His hands are bloodstained, hair is wild, his mouth open as if in a yell, his eyes bulge with emotion. He is a vision of turmoil, rage, and fury. He is so commanding and powerful that he seems to part the storm clouds. Curry wanted to highlight the fanatic side of John Brown that inspired righteous violence and escalated tensions. Curry didn’t show storms to celebrate them, rather he showed storms to celebrate the perseverance and fortitude Kansans exhibited in coping with them. His John Brown is a man-made storm that shaped the history and culture of Kansas.

#2 Below are some popular tips for developing interesting three-dimensional characters. How have Curry and Hovenden responded to these strategies?

Give your character:

1. A telling physical tag, a unique attribute, gesture, or mannerism Because of his growing celebrity, John Brown grew his iconic beard to disguise himself as he planned his attack on the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. Curry knew the beard was not historically accurate for his painting but included it since it was so recognizable. He then animated it to enhance Brown’s fury.
2. A backstory Like most humans, your character is the sum of their experiences. What has shaped your character into the person they are today? Both paintings depict aspects of John Brown’s abolitionist zeal. Curry’s use of symbols, such as the bible, highlights his religious upbringing and motivations. Hovenden’s weathered and stooped John Brown evokes his lifelong sacrifice for the abolitionist cause.
3. A strong opinion A strong opinion reflects your character’s personality and allows them to be flawed and heroic at the same time. See #4 and #5. Tap into the power of a grudge. John Brown’s belief that the best way to end slavery was by fermenting a violent uprising was considered extreme, even by many abolitionists.
4. Qualities that are human, vulnerable, and flawed Vulnerability makes a character relatable and shows their strength of character and spirit. Which John Brown appears more human? Which details lead to this belief and how does that make you feel about him?
5. Extraordinary, heroic qualities They may be human but they are special because they have a unique quality that makes them rise to the occasion. Which John Brown is more heroic? Curry’s Brown is larger than life, living up to his nickname the “Cyclone of Kansas.” Hovenden’s Brown has a saintly quality that distinguishes him from those around him.
6. An inner life as well as surface problems What is your character’s inner dialogue. Make them stop and think. The bulging eyes on Curry’s Brown suggest that his inner drive may be more than his body can contain. Hovenden’s Brown is wounded and facing death but his inner convictions and compassion compels him to stop to comfort an innocent child.
7. A character arc Let your character grow and evolve. Both painters show John Brown at a moment in time so its difficult to show him changing. Sometimes juxtaposing the main character with secondary characters can show how they have changed.
8. A research base Place your character in a realistic time and place. Both artists read about and researched John Brown and his times before they depicted him. They both believed that historically accurate artifacts, such as the soldiers’ guns and uniforms, added to their character’s authenticity.
9. The benefits of your life experiences and personal insights Hovenden married into an ardent abolitionist Quaker family. His John Brown reflects his emotional and intellectual leanings. Curry’s grandfather died of wounds from the Civil War, a war he believed was caused by fanatics who inflamed passions and muted reason. Both artists seem to interpret their John Brown based on their unique life experiences.

#3 How might John Steuart Curry’s approach to character development inform the way you write and describe characters in a story? (Answers will vary though students may note the importance of using rich details. Show don’t tell how specific details and mannerisms evoke a character’s thoughts and personality. Develop compelling characters who feel real and are three-dimensional with flaws and strengths, quirks and ideals.)

How would you use John Steuart Curry’s Tragic Prelude to teach character development or other writing techniques? Extend the discussion with your comments below.

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