Character Introduction Finale

As a finale to character introduction, the following Thomas Wolfe passage from “Look Homeward, Angel” is an example that incorporates four of the five methods discussed;  (1) straightforward, (2) character action, (3) report, (4) setting.

“Enormous humor flowed from him like crude light. Men who had never known him seethed with internal laughter when they saw him, and roared helplessly when he began to speak. Yet, his physical beauty was astonishing. His head was like that of a wild angel – coils and whorls of living golden hair flashed from his head, his features were regular, generous, and masculine, illuminated by the strange inner smile of idiot ecstasy.  

His broad mouth, even when stammering irritability or nervousness clouded his face, was always cocked for laugher – unearthly, exultant, idiot laughter. There was in him demonic exuberance, a wild intelligence that did not come from the brain. Eager for praise, for public esteem, and expert in ingratiation, he was possessed by this demon utterly at the most unexpected moments, in the most decorous surroundings, when he was himself doing all the power to preserve the good opinion in which he was held.

 Thus listening to an old lady of the church, who with all her power of persuasion and earnestness was unfolding the dogma of Presbyterianism to him, he would lean forward in an attitude of exaggerated respectfulness and attention, one broad hand clenched about his knee, while he murmured gentle agreement to what she said:

 “Yes?…Ye-e-es?…Ye-e-e-es?…Ye-e-es?…Is that right?…Ye-e-es?”

Suddenly the demonic force would burst in him. Insanely tickled at the cadences of his agreement, the earnest placidity and oblivion of the old woman, and the extravagant pretence of the whole situation, his face flooded with wild exultancy, he would croon in a fat luscious bawdily suggestive voice:

“Y-ah-s?…Y-a-h-s?…Y-ah-s?…Y-ah-s?

And when at length too late she became aware of this drowning flood of demonic nonsense, and paused, turning an abrupt startled face to him, he would burst into a wild “Whah-whah-whah-whah” of laughter, beyond all reason, with strange throat noises, tickling her roughly in the ribs.”

Examine the book you are currently reading and enter the author’s version of character introduction. Identify what method(s) they use. Please mention other versions of character introduction you discover.