CHARACTER SKETCH: A character sketch is a vivid
description of a person, attitude, special qualities or traits,
typical behavior or response. The character sketch gives a
deep insight into the personality of a person which makes
him different from another person. The character sketch
usually depicts the dominant trait that is most important to
the story.
Example of a short character sketch of Maxwell's
stenographer - from a short story by O' Henry named
The Romance of a Busy Broker
The stenographer of Maxwell, Ms. Leslie, is a young beautiful
lady, but very non-stenographic. She does not wear any
ornaments like chains, bracelets or lockets. She is simple
and serious not at all like ordinary secretaries, who would
receive everybody's invitation for lunch. She wears plain
dresses, which fit her figure with fidelity and discretion. She
is radiant and shy. She has bright eyes. She always wears a
lilac perfume.
Example of a longer character sketch of Coachman Ali
from the story The Letter by Gauri Shanker Joshi
Ali was a clever hunter and hunting was his favorite past
time. If he did not hunt every day he felt uneasy. He
couldn't do without it as an opium eater longs for his
portion. But as he grew old he left his old ways and his life
took a new turn. When his daughter Miriam married and
went to stay in Punjab he understood the meaning of love
and separation. He now admired nature and did not
appreciate hunting. He understood the fear experienced by
the young birds killed by him. For five years he had received
no information about his daughter. So, he was very sad and
upset. He made it a point to go to the local post office every
morning so that he could receive her letter and get some
information about her. This is his story.