Direct and Indirect Characterization in Literature
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Direct Characterization
The author tells readers about characters by
making direct statements about their
personality.
Example: The quiet girl and her rambunctious
brother strolled down the path to the beach.
Explanation: The author is directly telling
readers that the girl is quiet and her brother is
rambunctious
EXAMPLE: In
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
(Colfer)“His bodyguard, Butler, was not quite so
relaxed. But then again, he was never truly at
ease. One did not become one of the world’s
deadliest men by dropping one’s guard.” [pg 5]
EXPLANATION: The author explains that
Artemis Fowl’s bodyguard is not relaxed or at
ease, but always on guard.
EXAMPLE: In
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
(Avi)
“How shall I describe the person I once was? At the age of thirteen I
was very much a girl, having not yet begun to take the shape,
much less the heart, of a woman. Still, my family dressed me as a
young woman, bonnet covering my beautiful hair, full skirts, high
button shoes, and, you may be sure, white gloves. I certainly
wanted to be a
lady
. It was not just my ambition; it was my destiny.
I embraced it wholly, gladly, with not an untoward thought of
anything else. In other words, I think that at the time of these
events I was not anything more or less than what I appeared to be:
an acceptable, ordinary girl of parents in good standing.” [pp 1-2]
EXPLANATION: Charlotte Doyle tells readers, in her own voice, what
she was like, what she aspired to be and how she acted at the start
of the story. Immediately, readers get a sense that she is no longer
like this – that the events of the story have changed her.
Indirect Characterization
The author shows what a character is like through
his/her speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions
and looks.
EXAMPLE: The girl strolled undetected toward the
sandy expanse of the beach while her brother
sprinted towards the water’s edge kicking up sand
onto nearby sunbathers and startling people all
around with the tunes blaring from his handheld
radio.
EXPLANATION: Although the author does not tell
us that the girl is quiet and her brother is
rambunctious, we can infer this through their
actions.
EXAMPLE: from
Criss Cross
(Perkins)
“There wasn’t
quite enough room for Hector’s chair. His chair
was a peninsula, jutting out into the nonexistent
space between tables, in the position where a dog
might sit to wait patiently for scraps.”[Pg. 14]
EXPLANATION: Perkins builds an image of Hector
as being a “tag-along” to his sister Rowanne by
showing similarities between his status at the table
with her friends, and the proper place of a dog.
Identify which passage is direct and which is
indirect.
A.
Ed Johnson scratched his head in confusion as the sales rep explained
Dralco’s newest engine performance diagnostic computer. The old
mechanic hated modern electronics, preferring the old days when all he
needed was a stack of manuals and a good set of tools.
B.
“That Ed Johnson,” said Anderson, watching the old mechanic scratch his
head in confusion as the sales rep explained Dralco’s newest engine
performance diagnostic computer. “He hasn’t got a clue about modern
electronics. Give him a good set of tools and a stack of yellowing manuals
with a carburetor needing repair, and he’d be happy as a hungry frog in a
fly-field.”
Identify which passage is direct and
which is indirect.
A.
Julie held up six different outfits in front of the mirror and pondered
which would go best with her navy blue shoes, pastel eye shadow and the
diamond earrings she’d already procured from her overflowing vanity.
After ninety minutes of mixing and matching, and cell-phoning her sister
three times for advice, Julie finally made up her mind. She’d give the navy
blue skirt and white sweater a try, hoping Trent would love it
B.
Julie owned a multitude of outfits and accessories, and it always took her
forever to decide which combination might impress Trent. As usual, she
called her sister several times for advice. After doing so, Julie decided to
give the navy blue skirt with the white sweater a try.
The concept of direct and indirect characterization in literature is explored through examples from popular books such as "Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code" and "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle." Direct characterization involves explicit statements about a character's personality, while indirect characterization reveals character traits through actions, thoughts, and interactions. These examples showcase how authors use various techniques to bring characters to life and engage readers in the story.
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Presentation Transcript
Direct Characterization The author tells readers about characters by making direct statements about their personality. Example: The quiet girl and her rambunctious brother strolled down the path to the beach. Explanation: The author is directly telling readers that the girl is quiet and her brother is rambunctious
EXAMPLE: In Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code (Colfer) His bodyguard, Butler, was not quite so relaxed. But then again, he was never truly at ease. One did not become one of the world s deadliest men by dropping one s guard. [pg 5] EXPLANATION: The author explains that Artemis Fowl s bodyguard is not relaxed or at ease, but always on guard.
EXAMPLE: In The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi) How shall I describe the person I once was? At the age of thirteen I was very much a girl, having not yet begun to take the shape, much less the heart, of a woman. Still, my family dressed me as a young woman, bonnet covering my beautiful hair, full skirts, high button shoes, and, you may be sure, white gloves. I certainly wanted to be a lady. It was not just my ambition; it was my destiny. I embraced it wholly, gladly, with not an untoward thought of anything else. In other words, I think that at the time of these events I was not anything more or less than what I appeared to be: an acceptable, ordinary girl of parents in good standing. [pp 1-2] EXPLANATION: Charlotte Doyle tells readers, in her own voice, what she was like, what she aspired to be and how she acted at the start of the story. Immediately, readers get a sense that she is no longer like this that the events of the story have changed her.
Indirect Characterization The author shows what a character is like through his/her speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions and looks. EXAMPLE: The girl strolled undetected toward the sandy expanse of the beach while her brother sprinted towards the water s edge kicking up sand onto nearby sunbathers and startling people all around with the tunes blaring from his handheld radio. EXPLANATION: Although the author does not tell us that the girl is quiet and her brother is rambunctious, we can infer this through their actions.
EXAMPLE: from Criss Cross (Perkins)There wasnt quite enough room for Hector s chair. His chair was a peninsula, jutting out into the nonexistent space between tables, in the position where a dog might sit to wait patiently for scraps. [Pg. 14] EXPLANATION: Perkins builds an image of Hector as being a tag-along to his sister Rowanne by showing similarities between his status at the table with her friends, and the proper place of a dog.
Identify which passage is direct and which is indirect. A. Dralco s newest engine performance diagnostic computer. The old mechanic hated modern electronics, preferring the old days when all he needed was a stack of manuals and a good set of tools. A. Ed Johnson scratched his head in confusion as the sales rep explained B. head in confusion as the sales rep explained Dralco s newest engine performance diagnostic computer. He hasn t got a clue about modern electronics. Give him a good set of tools and a stack of yellowing manuals with a carburetor needing repair, and he d be happy as a hungry frog in a fly-field. B. That Ed Johnson, said Anderson, watching the old mechanic scratch his
Identify which passage is direct and which is indirect. A. which would go best with her navy blue shoes, pastel eye shadow and the diamond earrings she d already procured from her overflowing vanity. After ninety minutes of mixing and matching, and cell-phoning her sister three times for advice, Julie finally made up her mind. She d give the navy blue skirt and white sweater a try, hoping Trent would love it A. Julie held up six different outfits in front of the mirror and pondered B. forever to decide which combination might impress Trent. As usual, she called her sister several times for advice. After doing so, Julie decided to give the navy blue skirt with the white sweater a try. B. Julie owned a multitude of outfits and accessories, and it always took her
