In "The Monkey's Paw," how does the author use characterization?

Characterisation refers to how the author presents,
describes and uses the characters in their work to advance the theme or message of the
story. So really, in a sense, what you need to do to answer your question is to think
about how the author presents the various characters and uses them to enhance the horror
of this tale. For me, one of the characters who really stands out, is Major Morris, who
gives the White family the poisoned chalice of the monkey's
paw.

What is key to realise is how he is presented. He is
described as a "tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage." The fact that he
is a Sergeant Major and physically strong is made evident, an impression heightened by
his experience of active service in India:

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...spoke of wild scenes and doughty deeds; of
wars and plagues and strange
peoples.

Having established
the strength and power of this character, the author then shows the true terror of the
monkey's paw by describing its effect on the Major. Note how in response to being asked
if he has had three wishes, he responds, "I have," and we are told something that we
would not expect from such a man: "his blotchy face
whitened."

The author therefore uses the characterisation
of the Major to foreshadow the tragedy that is to come in the rest of the story. For
such a straightforward, physically powerful man to respond so strongly to a "fakir's
trick" clearly points towards the truth in the monkey's paw - a truth that the White
family find out for themselves all too soon.