A Device for Differentiating Characters in Fiction

In a recent post, I briefly discussed the idea that voice can, and possibly will, determine the persona and behavior of a character in fiction. There are other options as well.

Lara Vapnyar makes use of an interesting device for differentiating her characters in "Waiting for the Miracle." Although part of a novel she is working on, the piece was published as a short story in The New Yorker and can easily stand on its own.