1. Chapter 10
Understanding Characterisation
By Melvin

2. What is
Characterisation?
• Characterisation is the way how writers
create, develop and present the
characters in a narrative.
• It also involves describing the appearance,
actions, speech, thoughts and feelings of
the characters. In fact, anything can help
to reveal their personality

3. Characterisation
• We, as readers, are interested in what
happens to the characters as it is what
that drives a storyline along
• It is useful for readers to understand the
ways in what writers strike to make their
characters believable and memorable as to
make us become more of an attentive and
responsive reader. When we care and
become interested in a story, we will enjoy
the story

4. Direct Characterisation
• Direct characterisation is a
technique where the writer tells us
about a character by explicitly
starting what he or she is like. The
character’s personality and what he
or she is thinking about so we do not
need to inter from the information

5. Indirect
Characterisation
• Indirect characterisation is a technique where the writer
shows us what a character is like through. For example, his
or her appearance, actions, speech, thoughts, feelings and
what other characters think and say about him or her.
• While direct characterisation provides clear and immediate
information about characters, it can lead to some readers
to feel less involved or ‘connected’ with them. Indirect
characterisation however, leaves readers to work out what
the characters are actually thinking or feeling. This can be
effective for engaging readers’ imagination.

6. Ways to understanding a
character
• There are four basic ways to
understand a character by:
• Appearance
• Actions
• Speech
• Impact on other characters

7. Appearance
• Appearance is the description of a
character’s physical features, attire,
facial expressions and body language
such as postures and gestures. These
external signs help us know more
about the characters.

8. Actions
• The actions of a character in a story
will reveal information which will
guide us to a deeper understanding
of a characters’ thoughts, feelings
and motivations. It is also helpful to
consider what the character chooses
not to do

9. Speech
• The way how characters speak and
interact also reveal a lot from them,
giving us an insight into their
thoughts, feelings and attitudes

10. Impact on others
characters
• Another way how writers help
readers understand a character
better is to allow them to see the
character through the eyes of others
characters in the story.

11. The End
Thank you