Indirect Characterization

"He observed her. She wore a red-and-white-checkered skirt that stopped above her knees, slip-on shoes with a square wooden heel, and a close-fitting blouse styled like a man's undershirt. The blouse was decorate at chest-level with a calico applique in the shape of a strawberry. She was a short woman, with small hands like paws, her frosty pink fingernails painted to match her lips, and was lightly plump in her figure. Her hair, shorn only a little longer than her husband's, was parted far to one side. She was wearing large dark brown sunglasses with a pink-ish tint to them, and carried a big straw bag, almost as big as her torso, shaped like a bowl, with a water bottle poking out of it. She walked slowly, carrying some puffed rice tossed with peanuts and chili peppers in a large packet made from newspapers."

This is the part of the short story where the reader learns about the subject of the story. She is never literally described as rude, snobby, inconsiderate, or negligent to her children. However, somehow, she is given the characterization of the worst connotation the word American can give. Nothing about the descriptions above says anything negative about Mrs. Das, but the reader can tell she has the appearance of a stereotypically ignorant tourist. This persona is only defied when she takes an interest in the life and work of Mr. Kapasi. However, when she confesses that she hates her husband and children, the reader finds out that she had a selfish motive all along to getting to know Mr. Kapasi so well. She expects him to fix her problems, and give her helpful advice.The one characteristic that seemed out of place -her curiosity in Mr. Kapasi's life- turned out to be another part of her flawed personality. Although none of these transitions are ever clearly explained by the author, but it is clearly demonstrated by the indirect characterization of Mrs. Das.