The reader might even love her for the crude humor. Whichever way we go, without knowing, we have already been affected by the character. .
The vernacular used by the narrator is indicative of an inner-city youth, likely from a lower income family. This is evident in the slang words and grammar she uses such as "nappy headed" "we rolling or "smudgin " (213, 214). She even has the audacity to criticize Miss Moore's perfect diction. Without saying it outright, we can see that the narrator appears to be a person who is generally displeased with adults and is bent on railing and protesting against anything that would otherwise be a priority. .
Someone reading "The Lesson " might see the protagonist as a tough-as-nails inner-city kid who does not care about anything, but that soon changes. In one fell swoop, the author reveals another more vulnerable layer. The character takes a turn when she hesitates to enter the expensive toy store out of fear or intimidation. On approaching the entrance to the store she hesitates, and wondering why she feels afraid to go in, she says, "when we get there I kinda hang back. Not that I'm scared, what's there to be afraid of, just a toy store. But I feel funny, shame" .
Suddenly, a new side of the character is revealed and we take a different view of her. She might be a sensitive person after all. All the swearing might have just been to cover up the vulnerable child inside. Yet again, the writer reveals more of the character through her words and forces the reader to feel more sympathetic towards her.
Characterization may be achieved through what other characters in the story say. "In A rose for Emily " the narrator, a member of the town says: "Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty and a care: a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town, dating from that day in 1894 " (131). The way the narrator speaks of her helps to tie the character to the plot of the story and steers the reader in the direction he wants.
