Defining'Direct'and'Indirect'Characterization'
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Characterization!is!the!process!by!which!the!writer!reveals!the!personality!of!a!character.!
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Two!methods!of!defining!characterization!are!through!direct'characterization!and!
indirect'characterization.!(There!are!other!methods!that!we!will!learn!about!later.)!
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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!!
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'''''''''disobey!their!mother.”!
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Explanation:!The!author!is!directly*telling!the!audience!the!personality!of!these!two!
children.!The!boy!is!“patient”!and!the!girl!is!“quiet.”!!
Not!much!guesswork!needed!here…the!personality!traits!are!straight/out*told*to*the*
reader.!
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Indirect'Characterization'shows!personality!features!of!a!character.!There!are!
five!different!methods!of!indirect!characterization,!often!remembered!by!the!acronym!
STEAL.!
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TIP!#1:!Use!the!memory!device!of!STEAL!to!remember!the!five!types!of!indirect!
characterization.!!
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TIP!#2:!Use!indirect!characterization!to!analyze!visual!media,!too.!
In!films!or!television!programs,!look!at!how!characters!dress!and!move.!Note!facial!
expressions!when!the!director!moves!in!for!a!closePup!shot.!!
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Source:'Read*Write*Think'
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson800/Charact
erization.pdf'