Direct characterization is when...

• A. The author tells you exactly what a character is like.
• B. The author reveals traits by describing the character's speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions, and looks.
• C. The narrator never reveals the character's traits.
• D. The setting dictates how the character behaves.

Answer: (A)

Direct characterization means the author tells you exactly what a character is like, giving explicit traits such as honest, brave, or selfish. This is the clearest way to convey a character’s qualities without needing clues from their words, thoughts, or actions. In the question, the statement that the author tells you exactly what a character is like matches direct characterization. The other idea described—traits shown through speech, thoughts, effects on others, actions, and appearance—refers to indirect characterization, where you infer traits rather than are told them outright.