Read the excerpt from a student’s essay.

From the beginning, Rainsford is an individual who enjoys the hunt and wastes no thought on the animals he kills. On the boat, Whitney expresses some empathy for the animals they hunt, while Rainsford scoffs at the notion that animals feel fear or any other emotion. In fact, Rainsford belittles Whitney, telling him that "[t]he world is made up of two classes—the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are the hunters.”

Which revision of the first sentence most effectively incorporates the literary term characterized?

At the beginning of the story, Rainsford characterized himself as a man who enjoys the hunt.
From the onset of the story, Rainsford is characterized as an experienced hunter who feels no remorse.
From the first scene, Rainsford is trying to be characterized as a good hunter with much experience.
Immediately, Rainsford has characterized himself as a very strong hunter without a conscience.

In literature, the way the author or narrator presents and describes characters is called characterization, this means the term characterization refers to the author shaping the personality and traits of a character which often changes during the development of a story. This means in the case of "Rainsford is an individual who enjoys the hunt and wastes no thought on the animals he kills" the correct way to use the literary term "characterized" is by using the sentence "Rainsford is characterized" or "the author characterizes Rainsford", considering characters are presented and shaped by the author or narrator rather than by themselves. Thus, the revision that incorporates this term correctly is "From the onset of the story, Rainsford is characterized as an experienced hunter who feels no remorse".