Characterization is a way for storytellers to convey information about characters to the audience. Direct characterization uses descriptive words, while indirect characterization uses actions, appearance, and other elements. Strong characterization is important in storytelling, and methods vary depending on the medium. Indirect characterization is often preferred in literature.
Characterization is a process by which a storyteller conveys information about a character to the story’s audience. This can be done in a number of ways and usually serves to enable the audience to better understand the characters in the story. Direct characterization is the use of descriptive words to directly describe a character to the reader or audience. This is in contrast to indirect characterization, in which an author or other storyteller uses a character’s actions, appearance, and other elements to reveal information about him or her to the audience.
As an aspect of storytelling, strong characterization is one of the most important aspects of a story a writer can develop. There are several methods that can be used to convey information about a character and the methods often depend on the style of the narrator and the medium of the story. In movies, television, and comic books, for example, it’s often easy to show a great deal of character information directly to the audience, since they can actually see the characters. Stories in a textual context, such as books and radios, are somewhat different as words must be used to express information about characters.
Direct characterization is a common way a narrator can reveal information about a character, although in literature it is often seen as the weaker of the two methods. The direct method uses descriptive words, usually adjectives, to convey information about a character to the reader. Examples of this type of characterization include “The Nervous Cat”, “A Talkative Girl” and “The Hyperactive Boy”. In all of these examples, straightforward descriptions—”nervous,” “talkative,” and “hyperactive”—are used to give the reader insight into the character.
While this type of characterization can be effective, it is often seen as a weaker form of storytelling, and many writers prefer to show character details to the reader. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, usually using the character’s appearance, actions, or words. A statement such as “The man quickly crossed the room, slammed his hand on the counter, and called loudly for a drink,” is an example of indirect characterization. In this sentence, the reader can clearly see that the man is someone who seems to be in a hurry or at least has no time for distractions, and may be upset or at least is antagonistic in nature. All these details are conveyed through the description of the man’s actions, not stating “The agitated man was in a hurry and rudely ordered a drink.”
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