How does Harper Lee directly and indirectly characterize Mr. Avery?

A writer uses direct characterization by directly stating a character's physical, emotional, and/or mental traits. An example from the novel would be the presentation of Scout's teacher: "Miss Caroline was no more than twenty-one. She had bright auburn hair, pink cheeks, and wore crimson nail polish." 

Indirect characterization, on the other hand, requires that the reader infer what the character is like through what s/he says, what s/he does, and what others say about the character....

A writer uses direct characterization by directly stating a character's physical, emotional, and/or mental traits. An example from the novel would be the presentation of Scout's teacher: "Miss Caroline was no more than twenty-one. She had bright auburn hair, pink cheeks, and wore crimson nail polish." 

Indirect characterization, on the other hand, requires that the reader infer what the character is like through what s/he says, what s/he does, and what others say about the character. One must read carefully when determining characterization through what others say, because their opinions may not be accurate. An example of this inaccuracy would be the depictions of Boo Radley as a monster-like figure.

Mr. Avery is largely presented through indirect characterization. Our first glimpse of him shows him to be one who "makes change in the collection plate," leading us to infer that he is stingy. In addition, the same paragraph reveals him to be somewhat crude, as "a closer inspection revealed an arc of water descending from the leaves and splashing in the yellow circle of the street light, some ten feet from source to earth, it seemed to us." Here, Mr. Avery uses the restroom outside, oblivious to the fact that anyone can see him, including the neighborhood children.

Further indirect characterization leads us to conclude that Avery does not care for children. When it snows, an unusual occurrence for the area, he blames it on the kids: “See what you’ve done?” he said. “Hasn’t snowed in Maycomb since Appomattox. It’s bad children like you makes the seasons change.” As to his physicality, the sentence preceding this one directly characterizes Mr. Avery as flushed and portly: "He had a pink face and a big stomach below his belt."