Why the best fictional characters are built on a tension between truth and artifice
In short: Characterization is the process of bringing fictional beings to life. Authors use two primary methods: direct description, where the narrator tells us who a character is, and indirect inference, where we observe their actions and speech. The most compelling stories often arise when these two methods intentionally conflict with each other.
Direct characterization provides explicit information about a character’s personality, moral nature, or background. It leaves little room for ambiguity, acting as a straightforward guide for the reader. Conversely, indirect characterization relies on the reader to piece together an identity through a character’s dialogue, appearance, body language, and the reactions they elicit from others. While these methods typically complement one another, the most sophisticated narratives exploit the friction between them.
When what a narrator states and what a reader observes do not align, it creates a powerful tension that forces the audience to become active interpreters. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a masterclass in this technique. Gatsby is initially introduced through a fog of rumors—a mysterious, reclusive millionaire. When he finally appears, he projects charm, yet the narrator, Nick Carraway, detects a sense of artifice. Gatsby’s own attempts to define himself as a wealthy, Oxford-educated man are eventually revealed as a false front, shifting the reader from speculation to the reality of his humble origins.
This shift from indirect to direct characterization releases the accumulated tension, yet the character remains elusive. Even after his past is exposed, Gatsby’s defining trait—an obsession with reclaiming an idealized past—remains a tragic, unreachable dream. By maintaining this space between what is said and what is left unsaid, authors like Fitzgerald ensure that a character’s mystery becomes the very texture of their being, rather than a simple plot device.
Beyond literature, characterization remains a universal human pursuit. In the 1970s, artist Douglas Huebler explored the subjectivity of self-description in his project Variable Piece #70, where he asked participants to select placards describing their own traits. Whether through the structured archetypes identified by Carl Jung or the nuanced, evolving arcs found in the Hebrew Bible, the representation of characters remains a fundamental way to explore the complexities of the human experience.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: What is Characterization in Literature? || Definition and Examples | College of Liberal Arts
- Also: Characterization
- Also: Art Institute of Chicago — Variable Piece #70 (In Process): 166A · CC0 (data); description CC BY 4.0
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