Question

Decide whether each quotation is an example of direct or indirect characterization.

“How horrible it would be . . . if she were condemned to be the plain, shy Millicent of a few years back.”

direct

“Betsy Johnson, the vivacious blonde secretary of the sorority”

indirect

“Walking beside Louise on the way to the drugstore, Millicent felt a surge of pride.”

direct

“Bev was suddenly there in the doorway. ‘Wipe that smile off your face,’ she commanded.”

indirect

Answer 1

Here are the correct labels with brief reasons:

1) “How horrible it would be . . . if she were condemned to be the plain, shy Millicent of a few years back.” — Direct
Reason: The narrator explicitly calls Millicent “plain” and “shy.”

2) “Betsy Johnson, the vivacious blonde secretary of the sorority” — Direct (not indirect)
Reason: The description directly tells the reader Betsy is “vivacious” and a “blonde secretary.”

3) “Walking beside Louise on the way to the drugstore, Millicent felt a surge of pride.” — Direct
Reason: The narrator directly reports Millicent’s internal feeling (“felt a surge of pride”).

4) “Bev was suddenly there in the doorway. ‘Wipe that smile off your face,’ she commanded.” — Indirect
Reason: Bev’s personality is shown through action and dialogue (bossy/commanding), not simply stated.