The Lemonade Crime

Evan is Jessie’s older brother. They are both in Grade 4-O. Evan resents that his younger sister has been accelerated to join his class, and he worries that her exceptional intellectualism makes him seem stupid by comparison, likening it to being best friends with a star basketballer. Evan is in love with Megan, Jessie’s morally upstanding friend. He also loves basketball and spends hours practicing shots.

Evan and Jessie are industrious, evidenced by their hard work running a lemonade stand over the summer. Evan’s preoccupation with Scott’s financial situation implies that Evan’s family is of more modest means. The theft of the lemonade money hits hard, especially since the money was not entirely Evan’s. The reader is not told why Evan was carrying around the money; perhaps he wanted the feeling of wealth in his pocket for the first time or wanted to lord it over his friends. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Evan is already aware of the power of money in its absence and presence.

Evan behaves angrily and immaturely toward Scott after he is found not guilty in the trial. To his credit, he later reflects on this behavior and feels guilty, which leads him to make amends. While there, Evan realizes that his envy of Scott—whom he believed always got his way—was misplaced. Scott’s family may have more money, but it doesn’t keep Scott’s father from raging at his son. In a moment of empathy and compassion, Evan realizes that not everything is perfect in Scott’s world, which leads him to apologize, an act that compels Scott to confess and return the money.

Scott, also a member of 4-O, is an outspoken student with a disregard for the rules. Scott’s family is rich, which Evan, among others, resents. Scott’s life of relative indulgence is characterized by the fact that he “never had to rake because his family had a service that took care of the yard” (140) and in his huge TV and brand-new Xbox console (140). Scott did indeed steal the money from Evan’s shorts. When Evan treats Scott with kindness and compassion after his father’s cruelty, Scott returns the money and apologizes for stealing it. Although Scott was in the wrong in committing the crime he was accused of, this interaction reveals that Scott is a more dynamic character than Evan or Jessie previously gave him credit for—he clearly feels remorse.

Megan, Jessie’s friend, is the story’s moral compass. Jessie outwardly proclaims her interests in fairness but treats Scott unfairly at the trial. On the other hand, Megan represents Scott at the trial because she knows that “in a real court of law, everyone has the right to a lawyer. So somebody had to stand up for Scott” (135). Megan does this even though she suspects Scott of stealing the money, illustrating a more genuine attempt at impartiality than Jessie displays.

Megan crosses her arms in disapproval when Evan aggressively beats Scott at the basketball hoop-shooting game. Later she leaves, deeming Evan’s violence towards the less talented Scott as “gross.” This rejection of violence further characterizes her as highly ethical and mature.