What’s the first thing you notice about someone? Their clothing? The way they do their hair? The way the talk? Does a man wearing a suit give you the impression of put togetherness and importance? No matter what you notice, these are all types of characterization, things that may give some insight into what a person is like. A perfect example of use of characterization is in the story, “The Possibility of Evil,” by Shirley Jackson. Jackson’s use of everything from clothing to names give readers a glimpse into the real personality of Miss Strangeworth, the main character in her story. In the beginning of Jackson’s anecdote, we meet Miss Adela Strangeworth, the most well known resident in quaint little town. Miss Strangeworth is the last living relative of the oldest family in town, and she prides herself on knowing everything and everyone in it. But there is more than meets the eye, in this…show more content… She notices a lot of things about how people act, and watches quietly from the outside. “Many people seemed disturbed lately, Miss Strangeworth thought.” Because of her deep concern for her town and the people in it, she takes it upon herself to keep the “evil” out. She wants to keep her town orderly, and Jackson depicts this in an earlier passage, “Miss Strangeworth hated sloppiness.” The reader can see that Miss Strangeworth not only hates sloppiness in appearance, but in the lives of others, which is why she anonymously writes letters to the other residents in her town, exposing their secrets. Even the way Jackson has her write her letters in a way she characterizes Miss Strangeworth. Instead of using a nice pen, she uses a dull pencil and cheap paper. This is not only a way to disguise the letters, but it also reflects the way she feels about this activity. Miss Strangeworth feels that it is necessary to write these letters as a way to prevent bad things, or “evil” from
