The types of characterization used by the author are direct and indirect characterization, where the reader can understand what Miss Hurd is like by the narrator's description and can understand what she is like, by how she acts.
We can arrive at this answer in the following way:
Direct characterization is presented when the narrator of the story presents the characteristics of a character.
This can be seen when the narrator shows Miss Hurd's physical appearance.
The narrator claims she was a gray-haired woman, solidly built, had a Boston accent, had steely eyes, and had no patience for layabouts.
However, the text presents a strong indirect characterization, where the reader can understand how Miss Hurd is, by the way, she acts.
Through reading, the reader can see that she is an intelligent woman, rational, and committed to her work.
In addition, the reader can see that she is a woman who likes to make students think, reason, inform themselves and explore their stories and their potentials.
Importantly, this question is about the short story "The teacher who changed my life," written by Nicholas Cage.
“I desire those Politicians, who dislike my Overture, and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an Answer, that they will first ask the Parents of these Mortals, whether they would not at this Day think it a great Happiness to have been sold for Food at a year Old, in the manner I prescribe, and thereby have avoided such a perpetual Scene of Misfortunes…”
A thing that represents itself and something else – symbol. An example would be the dove, or the colour white, symbolizing peace.
One thing IS another – metaphor. What distinguishes the metaphor from the simile is that the metaphor is directly introducing the imagery in the text without a comparison word. An example would be: "he is such a pig."
One thing is like another – simile. The simile introduces the comparison with a word such as "like" or "as." "He eats like an ogre" could be an example.
Mental pictures created through descriptions which appeal to the senses – imagery. In literature, the purpose of imagery is to enrich the text by enabling the reader to picture elements of it in their mind.
Use of one word in place of another word associated with it – metonymy. A common type of metonymy is the designation of something by where it is contained, for example "the White House" for the President's administration.
A word which imitates a sound – onomatopoeia. Such as <em>woof</em>, <em>crack</em>, <em>bang</em>.
Exaggeration – hyperbole.
Apparent contradiction – paradox.
Repetition of initial consonant sounds – alliteration. This is often used in poetry, but also in prose, to help the reader imagine the sounds of the scene which is being described (like lots of <em>L</em>s when writing about water, or <em>S</em>s when writing about a snake).
The effective use of metaphor was most valuable to Aristotle. As metaphor, it is understood a figure of speech which provides a rhetorical effect by mentioning one thing in reference to another. it might compare two things which are different.
