WHAT IS CHARACTERIZATION?
Example:
Characterization is the process by
which the writer makes the character
come alive by representing the
character's traits, motives, and
psychology in a narrative.
Types of Characterization
 Direct Characterization
In direct characterization, the author
literally tells the audience what a
character is like, it is direct or
explicit characterization. This may be
done by the narrator, another
character, or by the character
themself.
This includes the character’s
physical appearance, personality,
and motivation.
Direct characterization is useful for
giving broad, concise details in a
sentence or two.
Indirect characterization is useful for
“Oh, no. Sam's the worst. He acts nice
when you first meet him, but then
he'll ask you for money and never
return it, and eat all your food
without any offering anything in
return, and I once saw him throw a
rock at a puppy. Thank God he
missed.”
Here the second speaker is directly
characterizing Sam as being selfish
and cruel. Direct characterization is
also sometimes called "explicit
characterization."
 Indirect Characterization
In indirect characterization, rather
than explicitly describing a
character's qualities, an author
shows the character as he or she
moves through the world, allowing
the reader to infer the character's
qualities from his or her behavior.
This includes the character’s
thoughts, actions, speech, dialogue,
looks, and interaction with other
characters, including other
characters’ reactions to that person.
developing complex characters
through background and subtext.
Example:
Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird by
Harper Lee. “Scout, simply by the
nature of the work, every lawyer gets
at least one case in his lifetime that
affects him personally. This one’s
mine, I guess. You might hear some
ugly talk about it at school but do one
thing for me if you will: you just hold
your head high and keep those fists
down. No matter what anybody says
to you, don’t you let ’em get your
goat?”
In this excerpt, Atticus is speaking
to Scout about an upcoming,
controversial trial. The reader can
infer that from this interaction
Atticus is trying to instill in Scout
the sense that a person should
always continue to fight for what
they believe, regardless of the
consequences.
This passage illuminates Atticus’s
strong moral compass and the
morals he hopes to instill in his
children.
 “THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL
NARRATIVE; EVERYONE’S PATH WINDS
IN DIFFERENT WAYS”

HOW DO YOU
ANALYZE/CHARACTERIZE A
CHARACTER?

By using the acronym S.T.E.A.L,

students look for what:
the character SAYS,
what they THINK,
their EFFECT on others,
their ACTIONS, and
NARRATIVE CHARACTERIZATION their LOOKS.
It's an easy way to keep track of
MEMBERS: the ways we are learning and have
learned about the character.
TEACHER: