The content of the talk of the characters of a story, then, should
reveal their inner natures, and their idiosyncrasies of utterance and
word-choice should be devised and set down to intensify the impression
of their individuality initiated by the writer's strictly descriptive
touches. Characterization is a double process, and neither aspect of it
should be neglected, whether the writer is narrating, describing, or
transcribing speech.

CHARACTERIZATION BY STATEMENT

So far as characterization by direct statement is a matter of
individualizing the persons of a story as mere physical objects, apart
from their inner natures, it has been discussed in stating the technique
of the description of persons. It was there stated that the writer's
endeavor should be to catch and fix in words the most salient attribute
of the character. And usually it will be the case that a person's most
striking physical attribute will have relation to some fact of his
spirit, as in Stevenson's description Villon's sensual face hints of his
sensual soul. The fact serves to make more obvious the truth that
characterization is a double process of individualizing superficially
and of revealing the person's nature, and Stevenson's description of the
medieval French poet is an instance of how the writer of fiction may
attain both ends in a single phrase, and avoid the suggestion of
artificiality in directly stating that a character is good or bad or
brave or cowardly, as the case may be. Instead of stating that Villon
was sensual and cruel, Stevenson states that the wolf and pig struggled
in his face. A reader sees the man's face and comprehends his nature,
and comprehends the spiritual fact the more thoroughly because reaching
it inferentially from a mere picture. The point is worth noting.

However, the writer of fiction frequently must state his characters'
moral attributes directly. Not all conceivable persons wear their souls
in their faces; if some ruddy, bluff old gentleman is a villain at
heart, the writer can only say so, unless he is willing to depend wholly
on the revelation of spirit worked by the character's deeds. And
sometimes such a revelation comes too near the end for the other
purposes of the story. Much of the interest or suspense of a tale may
depend upon the reader having knowledge of the natures of the people who
struggle with one another singly or in groups. Or direct statement as to
a character's nature may be necessary t