Characterization Flashcards

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Characterization

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The means through which an author reveals a character's personality. It can be direct or indirect.

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Direct Characterization

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The writer or narrator tells the reader what the character is like, e.g., "Ben was a quiet, serious boy."

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Indirect Characterization

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The author shows what a character is like through how they look, what they do, what they say, what they think, and how they affect others.

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Aside

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Words spoken to the audience by a character in a drama that are not heard by other characters onstage, often revealing the character's thoughts.

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Climax

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The point in a story where the conflict reaches its greatest intensity and is resolved. It is also when the audience experiences the most intense emotions.

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Conflict

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A struggle between opposing forces, which can be external (with another person, society, nature, or technology) or internal (within the character).

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Dialogue

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The conversation between characters in a work of literature.

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Dynamic Character

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A character who undergoes significant internal change over the course of a story, such as in understanding, values, or insight.

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Figurative Language

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Uses words in a way other than their literal meanings to make comparisons, add emphasis, or say something creatively. Examples include alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification, and simile.

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Flashback

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A scene in a story that occurred before the present time, providing background information about events.