Examples of Characterization

Characterization is the act of creating or describing characters or people. This is often used by writers of plays, novels, television shows and other formats that involve creating characters, but can also involve real-life descriptions. Usage of the character’s thoughts, words, deeds, or an actual physical description can all contribute to the characterization.

Characterization of Personality Types

• Characterizing a kind girl: She gently knelt down and stretched out her hand to help her friend return to her feet after her friend fell on the field.
• Characterizing a rich man: He chortled heartily before deeply puffing on his high end Cuban cigar, briefly glancing at his Rolex. He announced his driver would arrive at any moment, then tossed back the rest of his high end scotch.
• Characterizing a gruff man: “Look here,” he said. “I’m not about to take guff from anyone. I’ve been around the block a few times, and I’m no one’s doormat. I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, I don’t want to hear what you have to say.”
• Characterizing an action woman: She twisted her fingers in her hands and bit her lip. He leg jiggled quickly and her eyes darted from side to side.
• Characterizing an embarrassed person: He dropped his eyes toward the floor and his face burned crimson. His shoulders hunched over and he pursed his lips, clearly attempting to fight back tears.
• Characterizing someone who is apologetic: Her eyes pleaded with him to understand what she was explaining, her breath slow in frequency, but intense with each inhale. Her downturned lips revealed the shame she had for what she had done.
• Characterizing someone who is stingy: Crinkling his brow and wrinkling his nose, Bill screwed up his mouth when he saw the check for dinner. Clearly displeased with the cost of his eggs, bacon, doughnuts, and coffee, he yanked open his wallet, tossed one dollar haphazardly on the table for tip, and went to the counter to pay for the meal.
• Characterizing someone who is messy: She answered the door in a hurry, still putting her earrings in and telling me to come in for a moment. I entered what looked like an abandoned war zone with clothes and shoes scattered across the floor, dirty plates with crusty tomato sauce and hardened fettucini noodles dusted with old crumbs of buttered bread piled on the table, and magazines piled haphazardly on every spare surface.
• Characterizing someone who is thankful: She couldn’t stop telling him how much she appreciated the small loan he was giving her to get to the next paycheck. Hugs, cheek kisses, and an offer to make dinner for him ensued, her gratitude oozing from her with every word and motion.
• Characterizing someone who is inconsiderate: After he arrived about 25 minutes late for the date, he proceeded to honk the horn from his car, forcing me to traverse alone the 15 ice covered concrete steps of my building in my fanciest shoes I had donned for our date.
• Characterizing someone who is skillful: He pulled the arrow back on the bow until it would go no further. When it left his hand, it glided through the air and perfectly into the center of the target.

Now you have a better understanding of what characterization means and how it works.