Character Clues

Character Analysis

Names

Sorry, Shakespeare—it turns out names do mean something in this novel. Shorty tells us, "I have no name. There are no names in the darkness cos there is no one else, only me, and I already know who I am (I am the voice in the dark, calling out for your help)" (1.5). Gulp.

What do his buddies call him? Shorty, but only because he's the youngest of the crew. We also learn about Biggie and Toussaint choosing names (other than their given ones) to express their identities.

No matter how we slice it, then, it's clear that names are a big deal. They tell us how a character wants to be understood (say, as a rapper-gangster who is tough as lead) or what people think about someone (for instance as a guy who makes holes in other people's military strategies). We learn most of what we do about other characters from their names and how Shorty explains the significance of these names.

We bet you're rethinking what gangster name you'd choose now, too. Ours would obviously be Shmoop Dog.

Occupation

You might say that this book is about gangs. And according to Stephanie, you'd be right. She tells Biggie: "You're a gangster. You sell drugs and you kill people" (17.21). It's as simple as that from where Stephanie's standing. Our crew leader isn't all too happy with the generalization, though. Sure, he's in a gang, sells drugs, and kills people, but that doesn't mean he's some hardened criminal. Or at least that's what he says.

We hate to break it to Biggie, but that's exactly what we're told about him. There's a lot of discussion in the book about why Shorty, Biggie, and their pals are in a gang, and sometimes we're left to believe that they don't have very many other options. Nevertheless, they are gangsters, and are characterized that way, too.