To analyse character in a novel, look at what a character says, does, thinks and how others react to them — then ask why the author made those choices and what effect they create for the reader. Strong character analysis moves beyond describing a personality to explaining how the author constructs it through specific language techniques.
What does analysing character actually mean?
At KS3, analysing character does not mean writing a list of adjectives ("She is brave and kind"). It means examining the methods the author uses to build a character and the effects those methods have on the reader's understanding and experience.
The DfE English curriculum for KS3 requires students to "understand and critically evaluate texts" by considering "a writer's use of language and the effects created." Character analysis is one of the clearest places to practise this skill, because a character's traits are always constructed through specific authorial choices — never accidental.
The four methods authors use to reveal character
Most character analysis at KS3 falls into one of four categories, sometimes remembered using the acronym DASC:
| Method | What it means | Example type |
|---|---|---|
| D — Direct description | The author tells us what the character is like | "He was a cruel, calculating man" |
| A — Actions | What the character does shows who they are | Running into danger to save someone |
| S — Speech (dialogue) | What they say, and how they say it | Formal language vs. slang |
| C — Context and contrast | How setting, other characters or change reveals them | A character who is calm while everyone panics |
When you write a character analysis paragraph, you are always identifying one of these methods and explaining its effect.
Step 1: Gather your evidence
Before you write, re-read the relevant sections of the novel and collect quotations that reveal your character. Aim for a range across the DASC categories — one or two from each gives you more to say than five examples of the same type.
Ask yourself:
- What does the character want, and what is stopping them?
- How do they change (or refuse to change) across the novel?
- What do other characters say about them?
- Which single quotation most powerfully reveals who they are?
Step 2: Build a PEEZL paragraph
The PEEZL method (Point, Evidence, Explain, Zoom, Link) works just as well for character analysis as for poetry. Here is how to apply it:
- Point: State one clear idea about the character and the method the author uses to reveal it.
- Evidence: Embed a short, precise quotation.
- Explain: Say what the quotation tells us about the character.
- Zoom: Pick one specific word or phrase from the quotation and examine its effect closely.
- Link: Connect back to the author's wider purpose or the novel's themes.
Worked example: analysing Scrooge in A Christmas Carol
Dickens presents Scrooge in Chapter 1 as a man who has chosen money over human connection.
Point: Dickens presents Scrooge as a man who has consciously rejected warmth and relationship in pursuit of wealth. Evidence: He is described as "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner." Explain: The string of participles (verbal adjectives) piles up to overwhelm the reader with Scrooge's greed, suggesting it is not merely a habit but a defining force that consumes him entirely. Zoom: The verb "clutching" is particularly physical — it implies Scrooge holds on to money the way a frightened person holds on to something for safety, suggesting his relationship with wealth is rooted in fear. Link: Dickens uses this portrait to make Scrooge's eventual transformation feel genuinely dramatic — the reader needs to believe how far he has fallen before his redemption can mean anything.
Read together, these five moves form one strong analytical paragraph.
How do you analyse character change?
Many GCSE-level questions ask students to trace how a character changes across a text. At KS3, you can practise this by choosing two moments in the novel — an early scene and a later one — and comparing how the author presents the same character differently.
A simple structure:
- In [early part of the novel], the author presents [character] as [quality], through [method + quotation].
- By [later section], however, [character] is shown to be [different quality], suggesting [what changed and why].
- The contrast implies [author's theme or purpose].
This before-and-after comparison is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate that you are reading the text as a whole, not just picking out isolated moments.
What to avoid in character analysis
Avoid character description without analysis: "Atticus Finch is a kind and moral man" — this is a statement, not analysis. Follow every claim with the question: "How does the author show this?"
Avoid long quotations: You do not need to quote a whole paragraph. A phrase of three to six words embedded into your sentence is almost always more effective.
Avoid feature-spotting: Saying "Dickens uses a list" is only the beginning. The mark comes from explaining what effect the list creates and why the author chose it.
Avoid plot summary: Do not retell events. Your job is to analyse the construction of character, not to prove you have read the book.
How to write about minor characters
Minor characters often serve a specific function — as a foil (contrast) to the protagonist, as a symbol, or as a representative of a social group or idea. When analysing a minor character, ask: what purpose does this character serve in the novel? What would be missing without them?
For example, Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol exists partly to show the human cost of Scrooge's miserliness, but also to embody the generosity and warmth that Scrooge lacks. Analysing Cratchit is therefore partly an analysis of what Scrooge is missing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between describing a character and analysing one?
Description states what a character is like: "She is stubborn and proud." Analysis explains how the author reveals that quality and what effect it has: "Austen shows Elizabeth's independence through her sharp, ironic dialogue — her responses to Mr Darcy's condescension deflect his arrogance while revealing her own wit and self-possession."
How do you analyse a character without a quotation?
You can reference a specific moment or action without quoting directly: "When [character] chooses to [action], the author suggests..." However, a direct quotation always strengthens an analytical point, so try to embed at least one per paragraph.
How do you analyse a character who does not speak much?
Silence and action are themselves revealing. Ask what the character's absence of dialogue suggests, or focus on their physical descriptions and reactions to events. Characters who are described largely through others' reactions can be analysed through what those reactions reveal about both the character and the person responding to them.
Do you always need to write about the author's purpose?
At KS3 you are beginning to develop this habit; at GCSE it becomes essential. Even a brief acknowledgement that the author made a deliberate choice — "Dickens does this in order to..." — elevates an answer from descriptive to genuinely analytical, so it is worth starting to build the habit now.
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