REVENGE AND

THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE

FAMILY, LOVE, AND LOYALTY

GRIEF

A major theme is revenge and how it leads to a cycle of violence. As the ghosts' stories reveal, all of the acts of violence committed against Will's friends and family originated with revenge. These acts of revenge are often prompted by overwhelming grief. Will struggles with how to handle his own grief. The Rules have taught him that he cannot cry, so the only place to channel his all-consuming sadness and rage over losing his brother is through revenge.

Family, love, and loyalty are woven throughout the novel. Shawn is Will's beloved brother. Buck was Shawn's mentor. Will and Shawn are devoted to their mother, as seen when Shawn goes out of his way to get her special soap. Their father loved his brother Marc. The love and loyalty felt by their father to Mikey, Shawn to Buck, Will to Shawn are apparent in their plans for revenge. However, channeling their love and loyalty into revenge is what continues the cycle of violence.

Will experiences multiple tragic losses: his uncle, father, Dani, Shawn. The Rules are how people in Will's neighborhood deal with loss and tragedy: "Don't cry, don't snitch, seek revenge". When Dani was killed, Will cried all night. In the morning, his brother taught him the "Rules" and he hasn't cried since. Will sees his brother crying at the end and there is a glimmer of hope that he may see another way of dealing with his loss instead of shutting off hissadness and turning to violence.

LONG WAY DOWNTHEMES