Milkweed Character Analysis

Sometimes the youngest people with the slightest amount of knowledge can be the significant role models to others. Jerry Spinelli openly displays this in the novel Milkweed by creating the protagonist, who happens to be one of the youngest characters in the novel, a character who creates some of the greatest impacts on others. Misha, an orphan has very little knowledge yet teaches those around him some of the wisest and most valuable things. Jerry spinelli truly exemplifies, People teach others so that others can teach people. Uri who acts as an older brother to Misha shows Misha how to look out for himself and how to also look out for others. Misha and Uri are both orphans fending for themselves by stealing, early in the story, while they

Milgrom who acts as a father towards Misha, teaches Misha to care for those who show kindness to you. Misha grows up with other orphans acting as a family towards him, but when Misha and his “orphan family” are put in the ghetto and slowly die one by one, Misha grows close to his best friend Janina’s family. Misha soon is accepted into the Milgrom’s family and learns to care for others, the way the Milgrom's cared for him. While Misha and Janina, who acts like a little sister to Misha, walk around the ghetto Misha notices one of the orphans who he grew up with and walks over with Janina, who asks “ ‘Is gray John an unlucky orphan?’” Misha responds with “ ‘Oh, No’ … ‘He’s a lucky one. He’s with us’” (84). Mr. Milgrom teaches Misha how to care for others and Misha showed Janina how. When Janina and Misha come back from gathering food, Misha wants to drop food off for the orphans who had accepted him when he had no one. When Misha is dropping of the food in the night Janina says addlely “‘ What are you doing?’” Misha responds with “‘feeding the orphans’” Janina who now is confused and somewhat angry says “‘ you’re supposed to feed us’” Misha then forcefully says “‘ I feed who ever I want to feed’” (126). Misha’s words left an impact on Janina, because later in the story Janina meets twins who make “Janina laugh” (154). and give her some feeling of happiness, and she later leaves “a piece of potato or onion under their noses at night”