Full Circle: Dear Martin By Nic Stone

Full Circle

Have you ever feared that something would come back to haunt you? Have you ever done something you know to be wrong and fear the consequences of your actions? In the novel Dear Martin by Nic Stone, we see this concept come to life. Through the lens of Justyce, an African American high school student who lives life in a microaggressively racist world, we see as his actions come back to revisit him as well as the way that others come back to haunt themselves. Through his experiences, Justyce discovers the value and peace that comes with letting things marinate on its own, instead of living life seeking vengeance against those who have wronged him. We also see through many of the characters, how their negative qualities have come back to hurt them. The energy we put into the world will eventually come back to us. Letting things marinate

Off duty cop, Officer Tison, discharges a firearm and shoots both, murdering Manny. While spending time with his girlfriend SJ, Justyce receives a phone call from Mr. Rentzen, the defense attorney, informing him that “Garret Tison is dead” (Stone, 197). Officer Tison’s senseless murder of Manny, fueled by his own hatred, ultimately leads to his own downfall. This event serves as a reminder about the consequences of one's actions, demonstrating that even those with power and authority are not immune to the consequences of their actions. At the end of the story Jus writes a letter to Martin where he questions why he was trying so hard to earn respect by being like Martin and he realizes that as much as he tries to be like him, people will never treat him as an equal. “What I find most interesting reading through the letters: I can't figure out what I was trying to accomplish. I've been thinking about it for days and haven't come up with an answer. (Stone, 199) In this quote, Justyce realizes that as much as he wants to be like Martin, to understand others' opinions, some people won't change as hard as you try