Delilah essay

Ernest Hemingway once noted “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A ‘character’ is a caricature.” By this he means, when a writer needs people for a novel, their personality should be modeled from real people’s emotions, not from their imagination. This is demonstrated in Monkeys by Susan Minot, through Delilah by her strength. Delilah is a character in the novel that demonstrates how an author brings a character to life. Delilah comes to life to the readers when she shows what its like to live in a family.
In the chapter “Hiding” the Vincent family is getting ready to go to church. While Mum was getting everyone ready, Susan Minot states “Delilah comes half-hurrying down the stairs, late looking like a ragamuffin with her skirt slid down to her hips and her hair all slept on wrong” (1 and 2). This relates to the reader, the one who goes to church sometimes, and understands how much time it takes to get ready for church. Delilah coming down the stairs late reflects how other kids are also late, but shows other reactions from parents.
In the chapter “Party Blues” Delilah’s personality was as anyone’s would be. She acted like any teenager would, she was in her own little world, and didn’t really care about her sisters, she was with her friends, and having a good time.
In the chapter “Thorofare”, when she threw her mothers ashes in the lake she had the same reaction as most people would. (157) It showed that she misses her mother.