A Visit to Grandmother

                    In the short story, A Visit to Grandmother by William Melvin Kelley, direct and indirect characterization exists. Direct characterization is when character(s) are described by the author in a straight forward way through adjectives and was presented when the narrator described Hiram, Charles's younger brother. His hair was 'short-cropped and kinky' and was gray and black. There was also a particular area above his forehead that was completely white. The description of GL was directly characterized as well. GL was said to be part con man, part practical joker, and part Don Juan. This implies that he was a mischievous man. Indirect characterization, on the other hand, is when characters are described through dialogue, or by what is said during conversation. The grandmother’s vision was described indirectly in the story. When Charles and his son arrived to the grandmother’s house, the grandmother thought Charles was Hiram which was unusual since Charles was a lot bigger than Hiram. This shows how bad the grandmother's eyesight was and it was indirectly characterized through dialogue. When GL sold the old chair for a wild horse, he later found out that the swindler he traded with had deceived him. He didn't want to admit the obvious, so he simply lied and manipulated his mother to prove that he made a good bargain. GL's character was revealed indirectly through dialogue as well.