Steve Wayne Nobles Characters

Jonathan Wayne Nobles, “was executed in Huntsville for the stabbing deaths of Mitzi Johnson-Nalley, 21, and Kelly Farquhar, 24, in 1986” (Bishop). Just hearing this man’s crime would make people want to put him in a prison cell and throw away the key because in most people’s minds someone like him cannot change. Steve Earle, “a prolife singer, songwriter, producer, actor, and writer” (Reading on the River), on the other hand, friends this man named Jonathan Wayne Nobles, and he writes this story to show that Nobles changed while in prison. In Steve Earle’s “A Death in Texas,” Earle uses elaborate character description, potent imagery, and solemn dialogue to convey the theme that people can change. Earle uses elaborate character description to show that people can change no matter how bad they were. He says that “When Jon arrived at Ellis he quickly

Earle says that Nobles said, ““Steve, I can’t believe that I had to go through all this to see you in a suit coat. Hey man, don’t worry about the phone number, bro. You’ve done so much. I love you”” (21). This example of dialogue shows that Nobles was a changed man because this man went from an emotionless convict to a person who is thankful, loving and caring. He also says that Nobles said, “"I know some of you won’t believe me, but I am truly sorry for what I have done. I wish that I could undo what happened back then and bring back your loved ones, but I can’t." Jon begins to sob as he addresses Mitzi Nalley’s mother” (Earle 21). This dialogue helps to show that this man has changed because he went from uncaring to being truly sorry and understanding that what he did was wrong. The author uses solemn dialogue in his story so that people can see just from the way Nobles speaks that he is a changed man and if someone like him can change then all people can change if given the