Jamal Hicks is the protagonist of the novel. Scorpions is his coming-of-age story, a transition that is prompted by his encounter with the gang once led by his brother. Jamal lives with his mother and sister in a small apartment in Harlem. He is the “middle child” of three that Mama had with Jamal’s mostly absentee father, Jevon Hicks. Jamal is 12 years old and small for his age but generally not afraid to stand up to bigger people, such as his classmate Dwayne or even police officers or dangerous dealers who disrespect him. He angers quickly when anyone tries to “mess” with him.

There are not any detailed physical descriptions of Jamal, but the text does mention early on that his skin is “the same deep brown” as his mother’s (6), and he has “wide eyes” like her too (9). These descriptions connect Jamal with Mama. Their wide eyes represent their worldly experience and yet their innocence in the face of what they’ve seen.

Jamal is a dynamic character who changes in response to adverse circumstances. Jamal is introduced to us through his concern for his mother, which establishes for the reader that he is a kind but misunderstood child grappling with difficult circumstances.