Direct and Indirect Characterization
Name____________________________________
Period____
Directions: Underneath the heading “direct characterization”, write down adjectives describing
who you are or what you are feeling. Next, show who you without using the adjectives; you will
write your descriptions under the heading “indirect characterization”. See examples below for
guidance.
Who Are You? How Are You Feeling?
Direct Characterization
The narrator directly tells the reader something
about a character.
Ex A: I was hungry.
Ex B: I am very intelligent.
Ex C: I am so funny, and I make everyone laugh.
Show Who You Are or What You Feel
Indirect Characterization
The narrator indirectly tells/ shows the reader
something about a character.
Everyone in class laughed when my stomach
growled while our teacher was talking about pizza
and brownies.
I never have to study for tests, yet I consistently
earn A’s in all of my classes.
Sam said that he laughed so hard at my joke that
milk came out of his nose.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Ms. Salona
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Direct and Indirect Characterization
Directions: After reading “On the Bridge”, find examples from the story of direct and indirect
characterization. Make sure to indicate the name of the character being referenced. The examples of
direct and indirect characterization do not need to connect to one another as they did not the first side.
Then provide a small explanation of why your example is direct or indirect characterization. See the
examples below. You may have some difficulty finding direct characterization examples.
Direct Characterization
Example: “Seth had been really nervous about
getting caught *buying cigarettes+. . .” (1). The
reader is directly told that Seth was nervous.
Indirect Characterization
1)
Example: “’I beat the crap out of this guy at the
mall yesterday,’” Adam Lockwood said (1). We
learn that Adam is or would like to be a tough guy
by what he said to Seth.
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Ms. Salona
Page 2 of 2