Essays
Defining Characterization
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.
Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is.
Example:
“The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.” Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”
Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different methods of indirect characterization:
Speech
Thoughts
Effect on others toward the character. Actions
Looks
TIP #1:
TIP #2:
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?
What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
What does the character do? How does the character behave?
What does the character look like? How does the character dress?
Use the mnemonic device of STEAL to remember the five types of indirect characterization
Use indirect characterization to analyze visual media:
Film: Look at how the character dresses and moves. Note the facial expressions when the director moves in for a close-up shot.
Drama: Pay attention to the way that the characters reveal their thoughts during a soliloquy.
Examples of Indirect Characterization from The Cat in the Hat
Type of Indirect
Characterization
Examples
Explanation
Speech
Many of the words spoken by the cat at the beginning of the story have an upbeat connotative meaning. For instance, the cat says to the children, “But we can have /
Lots of fun that is funny!” (7).
So all we could do was to
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
And we did not like it.
Not one little
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.
Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is.
Example:
“The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.” Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”
Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different methods of indirect characterization:
Speech
Thoughts
Effect on others toward the character. Actions
Looks
TIP #1:
TIP #2:
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?
What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
What does the character do? How does the character behave?
What does the character look like? How does the character dress?
Use the mnemonic device of STEAL to remember the five types of indirect characterization
Use indirect characterization to analyze visual media:
Film: Look at how the character dresses and moves. Note the facial expressions when the director moves in for a close-up shot.
Drama: Pay attention to the way that the characters reveal their thoughts during a soliloquy.
Examples of Indirect Characterization from The Cat in the Hat
Type of Indirect
Characterization
Examples
Explanation
Speech
Many of the words spoken by the cat at the beginning of the story have an upbeat connotative meaning. For instance, the cat says to the children, “But we can have /
Lots of fun that is funny!” (7).
So all we could do was to
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
And we did not like it.
Not one little