What do you say about your teachers when they leave the room? Do you think they're weird because they use the word "duh" a lot? Or are they relatively cool because they have an iPhone? Either way, we all love to judge the people around us. And you know what? Authors love it, too. Through the masterful technique of characterization, authors are able to paint colorful pictures of characters we never get to meet.
In this activity, you will learn to identify the qualities of characters from The Bluest Eye and determine what specific techniques of characterization the author is utlizing to convey those traits.
Step 1: Turns out you already know a lot about characterization. Just think about it—in real life, how do you get to know what a person is all about? Let's look at a definition for characterization:
Definition: Characterization refers to the way an author develops the fictional people who populate a novel—you know, characters? In other words, characterization is how an author helps us get to know all of the characters in a book. An author might develop a character through dialogue (the words a character speaks), through action (what he or she does), through narration about the character, through the character's relationship to others, or through his or her changes over time.
Following are some tools that authors use to indicate character: Actions John saved the bleeding puppy. Mike made the puppy bleed further. Clothing John wore the scarf his mother knit him. Mike wore a leather jacket he stole from a homeless man. Family Life John's little sister lives with him because he is supporting her while she goes to law school. Mike killed his own mother. Food John eats organic vegetables from his own garden to cut down on food shortages. Mike eats babies. Location John lives in a two-bedroom home in the suburbs. Mike lives in prison. Names Jekyll means "I kill" in French. "Hyde" sounds similar to "hide." Occupation John is a volunteer social worker for underprivileged children from the inner city. Mike clubs baby seals. Physical Appearances John has a cheerful smile and kind eyes. Mike has a perpetual sneer. Props John always carries a first aid kit with him, in case someone needs help. Mike packs heat. Sex and Love John has been married for 20 years and has never strayed from marital fidelity. Mike has three mistresses. Social Status John is a hard-working member of the middle class. Mike is a hardened criminal. Speech and Dialogue "My goodness," said John, "one never would have suspected that such an occurrence could have gone unnoticed. It's simply atrocious to imagine." "Whateva," said Mike. "It's not like anyone woulda noticed if he'd shot himself tomorrow instead of today. Who gives a crap?" Thoughts and Opinions John thinks his old lady neighbor is a sweetheart. Mike thinks she's a pain in the tuchas. Type of Being John was a hard-working goat. Mike was a bloodthirsty hound.
A few things to remember: (because they may be on a test...???)
Flat Characters: We have E.M Forster to thank for this term. He coined it to refer to characters who are one-dimensional, who lack emotional depth, and who don't change much over the course of the story. In other words, they're as flat as that bottle of Coke you left on your windowsill last week.
Round Characters: Novelist E.M. Forster coined this phrase to describe characters who are fully fleshed out. Unlike a flat character, a round character is written in 3D. We probably have some understanding of a round character's thoughts, feelings, and motivations, and they may also change over the course of the story. Most protagonists, though not all, are round.
(2) Direct characterization occurs when the author flat out tells us what a character is like. No thinking required. Example?: "Joe was a fearless teacher who liked to entertain. Once a month, he dressed like a chicken."
(3) Indirect characterization occurs when the author shows us what the character is like. Here, we have to use our brains. Example?: "She looked in every mirror she passed, constantly stopping to smile as if the paparazzi had just called her name. 'I will be famous one day,' she always said."
Step 2: Now it's time to try out your skills on each other. Complete the following tasks:
Write about another student in the group using at least three different methods of characterization. (Be kind!) The other people in your group will try to guess who it is.
Describe yourself using all of the types of characterization you've brainstormed.
Step 3: Now let's move on to the wonderful world of lit with a little help from some old favorites. In the sample below, find examples of direct and indirect characterization and define what particular tool of characterization is used (actions, dialogue, thoughts, interactions with others, etc.).
What do we learn about the character from this passage?
Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast. Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. "In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions." Don't ask questions—that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.
Step 4: Let's finally get down to book-specific business. We'll now examine the use of characterization in The Bluest Eye.
Choose one main character and one supporting character fromThe Bluest Eye and identify three quotations for each that demonstrate characterization.
As you compile their quotes, you should note down:
Is this quote an example of direct or indirect characterization?
What type of characterization is the author is using (actions, direct description, dialogue, etc.)?
What do we learn about the character from the quote, and why it is important?
Done? Great. Now think about your answers and write down three words to describe each character. And while we're at it, how about three synonyms for those chosen words. Yes, we love the thesaurus.