1. Characterization
AP English Lit and Comp

2. Defining Direct and Indirect Characterization
Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is like.
Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of the character. There are 5 different methods of indirect characterization.
STEAL

3. Indirect Characterization - STEAL
Speech
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts
What is revealed through the characters private thoughts and feelings?
Effect (on others toward the character)
What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions
What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Looks
What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

4. 4 methods to determine characterization
What the author him/herself tells us
What the character does
What others tell us about the character
What the character tells us about him/herself
Determine if these 4 methods are reliable or unreliable and explain. Direct or indirect?

5. How reliable is characterization?
Actions and authorial comments are more accurate than self-assessment.
A character may be dishonest or deluded; likewise, other characters may bring their own personal feelings to their judgments.
Direct vs. indirect characterization
Dress, speech= authorial comment

6. Light in August Chapter 1
Direct – page 25 – “Lena tells her story again with that patient and transparent recapitulation of a lying child…”
What does this say about her character?
Indirect- page 6-
Her brother said about Lena, “He called her a whore”
Lena thought to herself, “If it had been this hard to do before, I reckon I would not be doing it now”
“From beneath a sunbonnet of faded blue…” (page 11)
What do each of these reveal about Lena?

7. Character Analysis - Lena
Pay attention to the character’s ethics/morals
Lena tells Martha the truth, “ I told you false about being married”
sneaking out of the window and got pregnant.

8. Character Analysis - Lena
Decide whether the characters actions are wise or unwise
Barefoot and pregnant walking for days to find a guy that obviously left her.

9. Character Analysis - Lena
What is the real motivation of the character?
To find Lucas Burch; wants her family together, “ I reckon a family ought to all be together”

10. Character Analysis - Lena
Consider the effects of the character’s behaviors on other characters.
Look for repeatedly used words that describe the character.
Stubborn (page 6 and 21)

11. Character Analysis- Lena
Be aware of items associated with the character
Old shoes, cloth bundle, palm leaf fan, shapeless faded blue garment

12. Character Analysis- Lena
Read between the lines
Is the character round or flat?
Consider the historical period of the character
What does the author think? How do you know? (page 25)