Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal cruelty, addiction, and physical abuse.

Marty is the protagonist of Saving Shiloh. Marty’s development throughout the text explores the growth from childhood innocence to adolescent moral awareness, as Marty’s relationship with Judd Travers shapes his moral development. Initially, Marty harbors resentment toward Judd for his previous treatment of Shiloh, whom Marty rescued from Judd’s abuse. Marty shares the larger community’s view that Judd is not to be trusted. After their Thanksgiving dinner, however, Marty sees evidence that Judd is trying to make amends: “Judd puts out his hand and strokes Shiloh on the head. He’s still awkward about it, but he’s learnin’” (18). Marty is surprised to see Judd treat Shiloh with kindness. He senses a hesitance in Judd’s movements, with the awkwardness indicating that Judd feels uncomfortable displaying tenderness toward anything, but Marty is pleased to see him trying anyway. This begins Marty’s journey toward forgiving Judd and trying to aide in his redemption.

Marty’s moral absolutism at the beginning of the text reflects his naïve perspective: When his father begins to question his insistence that he wants to be vegetarian, posing questions such as Marty’s continued interest in wearing leather, Marty realizes that ethical questions in the real world are often more complex than they first appear: “[L]ife is more complicated than I thought.