Ray Bradbury's Indirect Characterization

Furthermore, Bradbury also uses indirect characterization. He uses it with a boy named William. He is the biggest bully in the story. He uses indirect characterization with the teacher as well. Indirect characterization “consists of the author showing the audience what kind of person a character is through the character’s thoughts, words, and deeds” (Literary Devices, 3). Bradbury never physically describes William. He is described through his harsh words and hostile actions. For example, Bradbury uses indirect characterization with William. He writes, “ ‘Speak when you’re spoken to.’ He gave her a shove” (Bradbury, 2). This shows his hostility and built up anger that he is taking out on Margot. I assume he and the others bully Margot out of jealousy and the inability to understand her due to their differences. The other children follow William and he encourages them to treat her like her does. All the other children don’t consider how their actions will affect Margot. Lastly, the most minimally used character is the teacher. The teacher does not propose much authority or presence in the classroom. She does not see any bullying going on. She also does not understand what is happening between the children and Margot. Right after the children push Margot into the closet the teacher comes back and she says, “ ‘Ready, children ?’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Yes !’ said everyone. ‘Are we all here ?’ ‘Yes !’” (Bradbury, 2). The teacher

As shown above, the nonexisting sun played an immense role throughout the story. It was like the cause for the conflict and the central idea of the plot. It was also the element that caused the external conflict. The lack of sun and the constant presence of rain made this story. Overall, the setting was a major aspect in the story. To conclude, Bradbury highlights the conflict between Margot and her classmates by using a strong plot, a detailed setting, and