Question:
We have read two short stories, “The Day I Got Lost” and “Everything Rises Must Converge.” We meet three very different characters: Professor Shlemiel, Julian, and his mother. In these stories, we get exposed to direct and indirect characterization.
So, for this assignments you need to find examples from each story to show examples of direct and indirect characterization for each character. Use phrases, lines, and words from your stories.
Answer:
Professor Shlemiel, who appears in the story “The Day I Got Lost” is an example of indirect representation of character since rather than explaining the main features of this character the author resorts to the use of various innuendos for the same. In this regard, the lines “I am known….absentminded professor” and “I’m a man…..shlemiel” are important (Siegel 1991).
Julian in “Everything Rises Must Converge” is an example of direct representation of character since the things that are needed to define this character are provided by the author himself. Julian’s mother is an indirect representation of character and the reader gets an idea about her through the views of Julian. In this context, the lines “Two wings..florid face” and “Her eyes…battered look” are important to note (O'Connor 2015).
References
O'Connor, F., 2015. Flannery O'connor Complete Short Stories. HarperCollins.
Siegel, B., 1991. Isaac Bashevis Singer (Vol. 86). U of Minnesota Press.
