Sometimes it’s not how the character looks and sounds that pulls us in emotionally. Rather, it’s what the character is doing or, in this case, what someone else is doing to them. 

Barry Jenkins uses the word “runt” and the idea of hunters chasing prey to garner our immediate empathy for Little. 

Introducing the character in a chase immediately stokes our need to see what happens next. We instantly care for this little boy. We want him to evade his tormentors and survive, which is the major overall thrust of the story.