S.T.E.A.L. Strategy

Direct and Indirect
Characterization

S.T.E.A.L. Strategy

Word Cloud

What are some things help you understand a character you are reading about?

What is direct characterization?

Direct characterization in a novel takes place when the narrator explicitly, or clearly,
describes a character.

Example: Tom struggled in school, but tried hard in his studies.

The author clearly describes Tom as a character that is struggling.

Example: Pam was lazy, but learned very quickly.

The author clearly describes Pam as lazy.

What is indirect characterization?

Indirect characterization in a novel takes place when the narrator reveals character
traits through what a character says, thinks, effects other characters, acts, and looks
like.

Example: Jessica threw the half-eaten pizza crust on her bedroom floor; it has been
sitting there for over a week.

How Jessica acts can lead the reader to infer a character trait that would accurately
describe her. Here, Jessica throws her food onto the floor of her bedroom and leaves it
there. Based on this, we can infer that Jessica is dirty, irresponsible, and/or lazy.

S.T.E.A.L. for Indirect Characterization

In order to more strategically remember how to identify and analyze examples of
indirect characterization in a text, we can use the acronym S.T.E.A.L.

S

Let’s try some examples together...

Practice Excerpt No. 1

Excerpt

Craig is a football player training over the
summer for next season. The coach demands
that all players come in at 6:00 A.M. and lift
weights until 8:00 A.M., when practice begins.
Craig gets there at 5:00 A.M. to begin his
training.

●What part of S.T.E.A.L. is being used in this
passage?

●What character trait(s) can be inferred
from this indirect characterization?

Model Response

Craig can be described as: dedicated,
hardworking, overachiever

We infer these character traits by how Craig
acts. Craig shows that he is dedicated to the
team and that he is a hard work because he
adds extra time to an already long training
routine/schedule.

Practice Excerpt No. 2

Excerpt

The teacher asked Khadija what the answer was
to the mathematics problem on the board.
Khadijah wore a worried expression on her face
for a moment and then put her head down on
her desk. After the teacher moved on to
someone else, Khadijah whispered to her friend
that the answer was 26. Khadijah was right.

●What part of S.T.E.A.L. is being used in this
passage?

●What character trait(s) can be inferred
from this indirect characterization?

Multiple Select

What part of STEAL is being used here?

• Says

• Thinks

• Effect on Others

• Acts

• Looks

​Model Response

​We infer these character traits by how Khadijah acts, what she says, and how she looks. Khadijah seems to know the answer to the question, but she is afraid to say it. Instead, she whispered the right answer to her friend after she places her head on the desk, hiding from the teacher. Khadijah also had a worried facial expression, showing her level of uncomfort in answering the question in front of the teacher/class.

​Khadijah can be described as: shy, quiet, anxious, introverted

Practice Excerpt No. 3

Excerpt

Scott doesn’t talk much, but five girls in his
homeroom are currently competing for his
attention. This is nothing new. Girls have liked
Scott for as long as anyone could remember.

●What part of S.T.E.A.L. is being used in this
passage?

●What character trait(s) can be inferred
from this indirect characterization?

Multiple Select

What part of STEAL is being used here?

• Says

• Thinks

• Effect on Others

• Acts

• Looks

​Model Response

We infer these character traits by how Scott has

an effect on others and how he acts. Scott must

be handsome/attractive, since his quietness

(how he acts) shows that he is not winning

affection by being humorous or a great

conversationalist.

Scott can be described as: handsome,

attractive, quiet.

Bonus Practice

Open Ended

What parts of STEAL do you see? What traits of the characters did you learn?