Examples of Indirect Characterization from The Cat in the Hat
Type of Indirect
Characterization
Examples Explanation
Speech
Many of the words spoken by the cat at the
beginning of the story have an upbeat
connotative meaning. For instance, the cat
says to the children, “But we can have /
Lots of fun that is funny!” (7).
This reveals that the cat’s character is an
upbeat character that likes to have fun.
Thoughts
So all we could do was to
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
Sit!
And we did not like it.
Not one little bit (3).
These are the thoughts of the narrator as
he stares out the window on a rainy day.
These thoughts reveal that this character
is not happy about his current situation.
Effect on others
Throughout the first three quarters of the
story, three different illustrations portray
the fish scowling at the cat (11, 25, and 37)
immediately after each of the cat’s
activities. When the cat returns to clean up
his mess at the end of the story the fish is
shown with a smile on his face (57).
The scowls on the fish’s face support the
argument that the cat’s behavior at the
beginning of the story is not acceptable to
the fish. The fish’s smile at the end of the
story reveals that the cat is engaging in
behavior that is now acceptable to the
fish.
Actions
On page 18, the cat engages in “UP-UP-UP
with a fish” an activity that involves the cat
standing on a ball while balancing seven
objects. Later in the story, the cat releases
two “things” that fly kites inside the house.
These activities are outrageous, dangerous
and should not be conducted in the house.
They reveal that the cat’s character is not
concerned about rules related to safety
and appropriateness.
Looks
Throughout the first three-quarters of the
story, the cat is shown with a smile on his
face. Towards the end of the story,
however, when the cat is told to leave, he is
shown leaving the house with slumped
shoulders and a sad face.
The smiles reveal that the cat is enjoying
himself and is not apologetic for his
outrageous behavior. The frown and
slumped shoulders at the end of the story
show that he is not enjoying himself
anymore.