Characterization Definition
Characterization is a literary device that is used step-by-step in literature to highlight and
explain the details about a character in a story. It is in the initial stage in which the writer
introduces the character with noticeable emergence. After introducing the character, the
writer often talks about his behavior; then, as the story progresses, the thought-processes
of the character.
The next stage involves the character expressing his opinions and ideas, and getting into
conversations with the rest of the characters. The final part shows how others in the story
respond to the character’s personality.
Characterization as a literary tool was coined in the mid 15th century. Aristotle in his
Poetics argued that “tragedy is a representation, not of men, but of action and life.” Thus
the assertion of the dominance of plot over characters, termed “plot-driven narrative,” is
unmistakable. This point of view was later abandoned by many because, in the 19th
century, the dominance of character over plot became clear through petty bourgeois
novels.
Types of Characterization
An author can use two approaches to deliver information about a character and build an
image of it. These two types of characterization include:
1. Direct or explicit characterization
This kind of characterization takes a direct approach towards building the character. It
uses another character, narrator, or the protagonist himself to tell the readers
or audience about the subject.
2. Indirect or implicit characterization
This is a more subtle way of introducing the character to the audience. The audience has
to deduce for themselves the characteristics of the character by observing his/her thought
process, behavior, speech, way of talking, appearance, and manner of communication
with other characters, as well as by discerning the response of other characters.
