The Outsiders
By S. E. Hinton
Direct and Indirect Characterization
Direct Characterization: the author tells the audience what a character is like. A narrator
may give the information, or a character in the story may do it.
Indirect Characterization: the author shows the audience what kind of person a
character is through the character’s thoughts, words, and deeds. The audience makes
inference about what a character would say or do those things.
Directions: Complete the characterization chart for the novel. Be sure to include textual
evidence for both indirect and direct characterization.
Direct Characterization
Character
Ponyboy Curtis
Sodapop Curtis
Darry Curtis
Indirect Characterization
Direct Characterization
Character
Steve Randle
Two-Bit Mathews
Dally Winston
Johnny Cade
Indirect Characterization