Question

Dialogue is often used to provide __________ characterization.

direct
indirect
intrinsic
extrinsic

Answer 1

I believe dialogue is often used to provide indirect characterization - their characterization can be revealed indirectly through their speech and what they say.

Answer 2

The right answer is indirect.

When readers interact with a story, relevant information about the important characters is revealed through direct and indirect characterization.

Direct characterization occurs most often when the author specifically reveals the traits of the character to the reader. When the author or narrator explicitly states something about the character, it is a direct characterization. Here, the reader can learn the thoughts, feelings, physical characteristics or motivations of a character.

Indirect characterization is when the reader indirectly learns the character. The reader must infer or assume information about the character based on interactions that are not simple.