"Endowed with commonsense, as massive and hard as blocks of granite<span>, </span>fastened together by stern rigidity of purpose<span>, as with iron clamps, </span>he followed out his original design,<span> probably without so much as imagining an objection to it. </span><span>On the score of delicacy, or any scrupulousness which a finer sensibility might have taught him, the Colonel, like most of his breed and generation, was impenetrable."
This part provides direct characterization.
Direct characterization is where the narrator tells the reader about the character. The narrator specifically told the readers the traits of the Colonel. Traits like endowed with common sense, as massive and hard, The Colonel was impenetrable.</span>
Endowed with commonsense, as massive and hard as blocks of granite, fastened together by stern rigidity of purposeEndowed with commonsense, as massive and hard as blocks of granite, fastened together by stern rigidity of purpose. On the score of delicacy, or any scrupulousness which a finer sensibility might have taught him, the Colonel, like most of his breed and generation, was impenetrable.