The Characterization Patterns in

Character is one of the most important elements in fictional literature through which the author reflects his/her thoughts and feelings. The "Asl va Fasl" (The Origin and The Separation) novel by Sahar Khalife is among the novels in which the presence of characters is very prominent. The novelist employs both direct and indirect characterization patterns for presenting the characters. In so doing, the author uses two main techniques for direct characterization: the major characters are described and presented by the author herself; the minor characters, on the other hand, are presented through the other major and minor character's perspectives. This characterization method provides a more real picture of the characters and hence, is more effective. Regarding the indirect characterization pattern, the novelist employs various techniques for presenting the characters. She tries to familiarize the readers with the characters via describing their behaviors and their mental and psychological status, explaining their environment, using nomination techniques, and developing dialogs and monologs in the novel. The results of this descriptive-analytical study show that the novelist employs different characterization techniques in order to strengthen the structure of the literary work and a better transference of meaning. Moreover, the findings reveal that the author tends to use indirect rather than direct characterization strategies. The most frequent indirect techniques were found to be dialoging, describing the character's inner feelings and emotions, and nominating the characters.