Characterization
Characterization is the process by which a writer reveals the personality or traits of a character. Characterization
plays an important role in what you can learn from the text.
There are two ways in which characterization can be achieved:
DIRECT characterization TELLS the
audience what the personality of the
character is.
In the example below, Ally is telling us
what her brother is like.
“From behind me I hear Kenny laugh. But
there’s no meanness in his laugh; there
never is. Kenny is one of those rare people
who are all goodness”(14).
INDIRECT characterization SHOWS things
that reveal the personality of the character.
In the first example, Bree is showing us the
kinds of things her sister does and how her
sister behaves in order to reveal her personality.
In the second example, Ally reveals something
about herself when the writer chooses to open
the book with these lines. She shows us that
she is imaginative and bookish, and that she
embraces nature.
“My eleven year old sister Melanie gets
straight A’s, does cartwheels in public, and
actually enjoys watching science
documentaries on PBS with my parents”(4).
“In Iceland, fairies live inside of rocks.
Seriously. They have houses in there and
schools and amusement parks and everything.
Besides me, not many people outside of Iceland
know this” (1).
Mass, Wendy. Every Soul a Star. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Print.
Characterization
INDIRECT characterization is how the reader gets a more sophisticated concept of a character and how he or she
develops. It requires the reader to analyze the text for important, interesting, or revealing information. There are five
different methods of indirect characterization to look for:
THOUGHTS & FEELINGS
What do the character’s private
thoughts and emotions reveal?
What interesting observations does
this character make?
LOOKS
Is there anything interesting, strange, or
revealing about how this character dresses?
What sensory details, images, or comparisons
are made when this character is described?
SPEECH
How does the character speak?
Does the character say anything
interesting, strange or revealing?
Do you notice this character repeat
anything?
ACTIONS
How does this character typically behave?
Does the character do anything that is
interesting, strange, or revealing?
Does the writer ever zoom in or slow down
any actions or scenes involving this
character?
EFFECT
How do other characters feel around this
character?
How do other characters talk about this character?
Alpha
METHOD
EXAMPLE
EXPLANATION
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SPEECH
THOUGHTS &
FEELINGS
EFFECT
ACTIONS
LOOKS
Mass, Wendy. Every Soul a Star. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Print.
Jack
METHOD
EXAMPLE
EXPLANATION
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SPEECH
THOUGHTS &
FEELINGS
EFFECT
ACTIONS
LOOKS
Bree
METHOD
EXAMPLE
EXPLANATION
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SPEECH
THOUGHTS &
FEELINGS
EFFECT
ACTIONS
LOOKS
Mass, Wendy. Every Soul a Star. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Print.