Explanation:
the party was ruined by him
The correct option is C) “Valerie's petite frame was the complete opposite of her larger-than-life personality.” Direct characterization is a literary device in which the author describes the personality and physical traits of a character by using adjectives or phrases in a direct way.
In the example C, the author directly indicates the character physical trait (petite frame) and compares it to her personality (larger-than-life personality).
The other options do not describe directly the personality or physical characteristics of characters.
American novel is the answer.