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A narrative writer develops the characterization of the protagonist as well as other
characters through the following elements:
• Physical details (age, height, gender, etc.) skill workshop
• Actions, gestures, movements
• Dialogue
• How others speak or think about or behave toward the narrator or character /
• Narrator motivations
• Narrator internal thoughts
From the examples of direct and indirect characterization in the table above, it
becomes clear that Autman felt pressured to play basketball because of his physical Essential Elements of Narrative
attributes, not his skill or interest level. As readers, we care about Autman because we
feel that we know him. We feel sympathetic toward him and, because we know some
of his inside thoughts, we are rooting for his success.
Writers of narrative also bring their characters to life through dialogue and blocking.
These are common methods of building indirect characterization.

• Dialogue. Because it places the reader right in the middle of the exchange,
dialogue has the effect of bringing the events of the narrative to life. Consider
these examples of dialogue that illustrate how people judge Autman or expect
things of him because of his physical appearance:

“Aren’t you? Aren’t you?” he asked, his lips quivering with joyful anticipation.
“Now, let’s me show you how to do this again,” he would say over and over.
• Blocking. This term describes the actions of the people in the narrative. Like
dialogue, blocking helps the reader visualize the events in the story, placing us
right in the middle of the action. In the beginning of the narrative, for example,
Autman describes the moment in which the boy at Target thinks he recognizes him:

In the mid 1990s, the sight of a 6-foot-4 210-pound black man in Salt Lake City
caused many strange reactions. His, however, mimicked the excitement of recognizing
someone he had hoped was a famous athlete. The dribbling motion his downward
palms made gave it away. “Whoever you think I am, I am not,” I sighed. “I don’t play for
anybody’s basketball team.”

These examples of dialogue and blocking connect the reader to the protagonist
because he describes an emotional situation that many people can empathize with:
someone being profiled based on race, gender, and physical attributes. Even though
narratives often focus closely on the characterization of the narrator, most narratives
also include characterization of other figures to help flesh out the story and engage
the reader. Through both types of characterization, we see that the teenager at the
beginning is rash and possibly racist, the uncle is stubbornly persistent and frustrated,
and Autman’s mother is strong, level-headed, and caring with a strict manner.

Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample. 135
Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.

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