The author of Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck, uses an immense number of descriptive words throughout the novel to give life to his characters. Simply by the detailed phrasing and descriptive language he uses he expertly brings them to life. As he describes the way their hands look, what they are dressed in, their facial expressions and/or characteristics, or even the way their hair falls, he paints a picture of their past as well as the way they are in the present. Not only does he make them seem real, but he almost makes it possible for the reader to kind of become the character by taking on his or her own feelings and characteristics and troubles.
Wording is very important when making a character feel real to a reader. A true character that the reader can connect and relate to can not ever be established through dialogue. There are simply not enough words in dialogue to be used that can give the reader a three dimensional look into the character him or herself. By tapping into all of the senses and getting the reader to engage them in their imagination, the author can figure out a way to make the character feel as real as a person sitting next to them in the same room, if not more so.
The special thing about characterization is that not only do the readers typically understand the character's phsycial characterisitics and past, but one also gets a glimpse into the mind of the character. This rounds the character off and allows the reader to give into the story and connect and relate to it on a more emotional level. When they can feel, see, touch, smell, and practically taste every aspect of the character, there is nothing stopping the reader from immersing him or herself fully into the novel and absorbing all the lessons each individual character is designed by the author to teach.
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