CharacterAnalysisPS

Character Essay:

"If you can picture a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers, you'll have Johnny." (Hinton, 11). I chose Johnny as my character because he seemed to change rapidly throughout the book. He started off very shy and by the end he was braver and he had more courage. Johnny has a hard life at home and a bad experience with the Socs. This made him to be timid and scared. He soon found is voice and got a little stronger.

Johnny is a very cautious boy. He was beat up very badly by the Socs and his father hits him at his house. "He has a nervous, suspicious look in his eye." (Hinton, 11) because of what happened to him. Since he is so cautious, " ... [Johnny] now carried in his back pocket a six-inch switchblade." (Hinton, 34). He doesn't use his switchblade for anything but defense. He used his switchblade for a very big reason, in which, made him become a braver and stronger boy later on.

Since Johnny is so cautious, he is protected by the boys in the gang, especially Dally. Johnny does everything Dally tells him to, he is very respectful to Dally, and he is the "Gang's pet, everyone's kid-brother." (Hinton, 12). Dally took Johnny in to protect him and take care of him because both of their parents abandoned them. Even though Dally takes care of Johnny, everyone else in the gang watches over him. They all protect him when the Socs arrive, they let him sleep at their house when he needs it, and they make sure to show him the love and respect he needs.

When Dally took Johnny in to take of him, Johnny formed a great respect for Dally. "Johnny worshiped the ground Dally walked on." (Hinton, 25). Johnny was so grateful for what Dally had done for him. Johnny was Dally's kid-brother, basically. Dally is very protective over him because Johnny has no family to go to and has no one to show him the love he needs. Johnny gets that love and care from Dally and respects him because of that. Johnny isn't only respectful to Dally, he respects the other people in the gang because they show care too. Everyone in the gang shows care for Johnny and he shows respect and care back.

Johnny changes a lot throughout the story. He started off timid and scared, but he was soon strong and brave. He stood up to the Socs and he soon found out how to stand up for himself. Johnny is a cautious, protected, and respectful character. He has been through a lot in his life with the beating from the Socs and beatings from his father with no help from his mother. All of those troubles in his life make up who he is.