Question

Which sentence from Washington Irving's short story "Rip Van Winkle" is an example of indirect characterization?

A.
"Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy..."
B.
"I have observed that he was a simple, good-natured man; he was, moreover, a kind neighbor, and an obedient husband."
C.
"The great error in Rip's composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor."
D.
"In fact, he declared it was of no use to work on his farm; it was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country..."

Answer 1

D. "In fact, he declared it was of no use to work on his farm; it was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country..."

Answer 2

The correct answer is D. "In fact, he declared it was of no use to work on his farm; it was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country..."

Step-by-step explanation:

Indirect characterization refers to showing the traits of a character including personality, appearance, values, etc. through the character's actions, words, and decisions. This is the opposite of direct characterization in which the character is directly described.

Option D is an example of indirect characterization because by showing the action of the character " he declared it was of no use to work on his farm" the reader can know this character is lazy or does not like to work, which means the narrator uses the actions of the character to show how the character is.