SuitabookThe righteous revenge of Artemis Bonner
Walter Dean Myers
- Reading
- If the action feels relentless, pause after a major reversal to map who wants the treasure and why. Afterwards, compare the heroic Western conventions with the book’s humour, friendship and racial context.
- Themes
- Justice and revenge: Artemis seeks to avenge his uncle’s murder and later agrees to a shoot-out with Catfish, describing the result as self-defence. The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
- Friendship and partnership: Artemis travels with Frolic, and their relationship grows from a casual association into a friendship described as becoming a true team. The friendship is presented positively within the adventure, providing a counterweight to rivalry and pursuit.
- Race and belonging: The story includes comments about being Black in a mostly white early American setting; Artemis and Frolic are described as a Black boy and a boy who claims to be part Cherokee. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Expect repeated Western-style peril: the uncle’s shooting, guns, shoot-outs, brawling, chases and escapes. The action is described as violent slapstick, and the protagonists do not always follow through on opportunities to kill.