Shiver Character Analysis

Although Sam is a secondary character, I believe he experiences the most character development in the book. Sam is a boy who shifts between a wolf and a human, depending on the conditions. The first implication that Sam still remains with a grip on humanity, would be in the beginning of the book where he is manifested as a wolf, despite showing human emotions. During this scene, Grace, the main character, has been pulled from from her backyard into the frigid atmosphere of the woods by a pack of wolves. Despite Sam’s animalistic impulses and intense hunger, he does not attack Grace, but rather saves her from certain death. In Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, Grace has existed in her human world for seventeen years despite the strong pull she feels

In the beginning of the book, Sam keeps his distance, his relationship with Grace does not cross platonic lines. He carefully dances around her with his actions and words, fearful of allowing himself to get too close. Inner dialogue is present whenever the author describes their first encounter: “But Grace, the only person in the world I wanted to know me, just ran a wanting finger over the cover of one of the new hardcovers and walked out of the store without ever realizing I was there, right within reach (Stiefvater 11).” When Sam first sees Grace in the bookstore, he does not approach her, he’s caught between the desire of having her near but he is also scared of getting too close to her. As a result, he simply allows her to walk away. This allows some insight into Sam’s mind, I believe he sees Grace as fragile, someone who must be protected. This idea is reiterated when he compares himself to the other wolves in the pack: “I’d spent eleven years watching the rest of the pack become animals, pushing down my instincts, controlling myself, fighting to stay human, fighting to do the right thing (Stiefvater 292).” This quote expresses Sam’s desire for control. He dislikes the animalistic side that he posses. As a result, he’s constantly fighting to control the things he can. Sam is unable to control his shifting, although he tries with