Characterization refers to the process by which a writer reveals the personality, traits, and motivations of a character in a story. This can be accomplished through various means, including direct description, dialogue, actions, and interactions with other characters. Characterization is a fundamental element of storytelling, as it allows readers to understand and relate to the characters in a narrative. It also helps to drive the plot, as character traits and motivations often shape the decisions and actions taken by characters.
Examples of characterization:
In “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins, the character of Rachel Watson is characterized as an unreliable narrator struggling with alcoholism and trauma through her actions, dialogue, and internal thoughts.
In “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, the characters of Amy and Nick Dunne are characterized as complex and unreliable through their actions, dialogue, and internal thoughts, creating a sense of suspense and psychological drama.
In “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, the character of Starr Carter is characterized as a courageous and conflicted teenager navigating racial injustice and identity through her actions, dialogue, and interactions with her community and family.
In “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah, the characters of Vianne and Isabelle Rossignol are characterized as strong and resilient women fighting for survival and resistance during the Nazi occupation of France, through their actions, dialogue, and internal thoughts.
In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, the character of Henrietta Lacks is characterized posthumously through the memories, stories, and scientific discoveries of those who knew her, creating a sense of history and legacy.
Indirect characterization can be things implied but not stated overtly…the way they interpret events about them, the way they react to their environment etc. It can be not what they say but how they say it, their speech patterns ad dialect give things away about who they are. Also the way they behave in situations, their attitudes etc.