The Scribe

The Character of James in “The Scribe”
The main character in the short story “The Scribe,” written by Kristin Hunter, is a thirteen-year-old boy named
James.

This strong character tries to change a big problem in his neighborhood. The problem involves the Silver Dollar
Check Cashing Service. He feels that it is unfair for the owners to take money from people who can’t fill out information on forms because they can’t read. He is determined to change this, but a couple of things get in his way. James helps many people because of his outstanding traits, such as being observant, creative, and caring.

James is a very observant young boy. When he goes to the Check Cashing Service, he begins to notice things that he knows he could do because he can read and write, but that others could not. James also observes that the customers of the
Silver Dollar are not treated well. It seems to James that they are looked down on because of their disadvantage. So James goes home to explain everything to his mother. His mother tells him that at one time many people couldn’t read or write, only the scribes. She explains that the scribes were a special class of people. Throughout the story, James is a creative young boy.
After his mother tells him about the scribes, he decides to become one. He sets up a stand right outside the Check
Cashing Service. People begin to line up, and he helps all the people at no charge. People are very happy that he is there doing this for them. Then a police officer comes and tells
James to go because he is taking over the Cashing Service. I think James is also very creative when he considers applying for a license to become a scribe. I think most kids his age wouldn’t even think about applying to be a scribe.
James is also very caring in this story. With the law getting in his way, he searches for a better way to help these people. Then his parents tell him that if people put their money in the bank, the bank would