68 pages • 2 hours read
Walter Dean MyersA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Jamal Hicks is the protagonist of the novel. Scorpions is his coming-of-age story, a transition that is prompted by his encounter with the gang once led by his brother. Jamal lives with his mother and sister in a small apartment in Harlem. He is the “middle child” of three that Mama had with Jamal’s mostly absentee father, Jevon Hicks. Jamal is 12 years old and small for his age but generally not afraid to stand up to bigger people, such as his classmate Dwayne or even police officers or dangerous dealers who disrespect him. He angers quickly when anyone tries to “mess” with him.
There are not any detailed physical descriptions of Jamal, but the text does mention early on that his skin is “the same deep brown” as his mother’s (6), and he has “wide eyes” like her too (9). These descriptions connect Jamal with Mama. Their wide eyes represent their worldly experience and yet their innocence in the face of what they’ve seen.
Jamal is a dynamic character who changes in response to adverse circumstances. Jamal is introduced to us through his concern for his mother, which establishes for the reader that he is a kind but misunderstood child grappling with difficult circumstances.
By Walter Dean Myers
Autobiography of My Dead Brother
Walter Dean Myers
Bad Boy: A Memoir
Walter Dean Myers
Dope Sick
Walter Dean Myers
Fallen Angels
Walter Dean Myers
Hoops
Walter Dean Myers
Lockdown
Walter Dean Myers
Monster
Walter Dean Myers
Shooter
Walter Dean Myers
Slam!
Walter Dean Myers
Somewhere in the Darkness
Walter Dean Myers
Street Love
Walter Dean Myers
Sunrise Over Fallujah
Walter Dean Myers
The Glory Field
Walter Dean Myers
The Greatest: Muhammad Ali
Walter Dean Myers
The Young Landlords
Walter Dean Myers
African American Literature
View Collection
Books About Art
View Collection
Books About Race in America
View Collection
Books that Feature the Theme of...
View Collection
Class
View Collection
Class
View Collection
Diverse Voices (High School)
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Juvenile Literature
View Collection
Loyalty & Betrayal
View Collection
Newbery Medal & Honor Books
View Collection
Realistic Fiction (High School)
View Collection