Characterization: Just How “Real” Is This Person?
Characterization is the act of creating and developing a character in a literary work. We get to know characters in a short story, just as we get to know people in real life. We listen to what other people say. (“Lisa is the nicest person I’ve ever met.” “You can’t trust Sean with a secret.”) We also decide whether we like people by hearing what they say and watching what they do. If, for example, we see Jason kick his puppy as he walks down the stairs, we might not like Jason as much as we otherwise would.
In fiction, we learn about characters in the same way. We listen to what the author tells us the character is like (direct characterization); we observe for ourselves what the character is like (indirect characterization) through his or her actions, thoughts, feelings, words, and appearance, or through another character’s observations and reactions.
Analyzing Characters: How Do I Know This Person?
You should learn to use both the direct and indirect characterization techniques provided to you by the writer. Below is an analysis of Sadao Hoki from “The Enemy” by Pearl Buck using both the direct and indirect characterization methods.
Name of Character: Sadao Hoki
The author tells us directly: Sadao is a skilled, competent surgeon.
The author tells us indirectly: Sadao is not a killer, even of his enemy. The sentence that supports this characterization says of Sadao, “Sadao cannot throw the wounded American prisoner of war back into the sea.
For each of the statements below from “The Enemy,” write the name of the character(s) being described. Indicate whether the statement is an example of direct characterization or indirect characterization.
1. They were perfectly happy.
2. “The kindest thing would be to put him back in the sea.” But neither of them moved.
3. There was his wet yellow hair, long, and upon his young and tortured face was a ragged yellow beard.
4. “I have never washed a white man,” she said, “ and I will not wash so dirty a one now.”
5. He was dressed now in the Japanese clothes which Sadao had given him, and at the last moment Sadao wrapped a black cloth around his blond head.
Choose a character from the story.
Analyze the character and give two examples each of direct and indirect characterization. Write the events which support the indirect characterization.