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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Names

Names serve as a huge signifier of a legacy and appear frequently throughout the novel. Mav’s father, Adonis, names his son Maverick in the hopes that he will grow up to think for himself. He is also the first person to point out that King Jr. is not the right name for a child who belongs to Mav and not to King. He stops short of suggesting a name, however, knowing that choosing a strong name for his son is an important step for Mav as a father.

The members of the King Lords have names that reflect their status and seniority. No matter what his ambition is within the ranks, a li’l homie is not permitted to take on the tasks of a big homie until he has earned the title. In Chapter 30, Mav sidesteps this process as he debates leaving the gang. In the Epilogue, Mav and Lisa consider names for their daughter. Thomas never reveals what this name will be, but hints at the brilliance of the stars, which foreshadows that this child will create her own destiny.

Addiction

Addiction comes in many forms and challenges the characters to overcome it. Everyone in the King Lords deals drugs, but Bus Stop Tony is the only textbook addict among the characters who use drugs. Even though the police briefly suspect he murdered Dre, Mav knows that Tony is ultimately harmless. It is not until Chapter 25 that Mav realizes how many years Tony and the other people in the crack house where he searches for him have been harming themselves.

In the intervening chapters, Thomas paints a picture of young men who are so addicted to money and status that they sacrifice their safety and their future to obtain it. Even before Mav becomes concerned about paying for what Seven needs, he risks his standing with the big homies when he deals on the side to keep up with his preference for Air Jordans. When Shawn is arrested, P-Nut becomes crown and gets a taste of power. For P-Nut that prestige is every bit as addictive as the drugs he deals.

Hair

Scenes with hair connect the characters. In Chapter 7, Lisa washes Mav’s hair for him. The fact that it looks bad reflects how much he neglects his personal upkeep to take care of Seven, and Lisa noticing indicates that she does still care for Mav. Her offer to wash Mav’s hair for him proves her affection, and when they make love afterward, it solidifies the tenderness of that act and the love that they both still feel for one another.

Lisa and Mav’s feelings for one another expand and contract between Chapter 7 and the Epilogue, but there is a spark of hope when Mav offers to comb Lisa’s hair for her. When he makes this overture, he recasts himself in the role of nurturer. Lisa is proud of her independence, and when she allows Mav to take care of her, she shows that she is strong enough to share her burdens and that she trusts him to do a good job. This dynamic will serve them well as they parent their daughter together.

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