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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Violence
Violence is an intrinsic aspect of life for the novel’s characters, both at home and on the streets. Violence is so normalized as both a reaction and solution to arguments that Wes doesn’t understand why the police arrest him for trying to use a knife on another eight-year-old. Woody, his friend, is equally confused that his threat to kill someone, in the hopes of calming down the situation with the police, only exacerbates it.
Family members also use violence to teach people they love important lessons. Just as Joy strikes Moore when he is a toddler and punches Nikki, Tony expresses his dissatisfaction with Wes’s drug-dealing by beating him mercilessly. Despite Tony’s clear desire to steer his brother toward a better life, he has his friends beat Wes in an effort to toughen him up and prepare him for the rough reality of their neighborhood. Romantic arguments also escalate into attempted murder when Wes and Ray, an older teenager in the neighborhood, start arguing over a girl. The story’s violence reaches its peak with Tony and Wes’s involvement in Bruce’s murder during a robbery. Moore’s life is not untouched by violence, but his refusal to engage with further violence sets him apart from Wes. Whether it is trying to mediate a neighborhood spat or dealing with a cruel, racially fueled ambush at Valley Forge, Moore makes a conscious decision to not retaliate with violence because he recognizes it escalates the situation.
Masculinity
Moore and Wes both grapple with their individual identities as men and with a broader view of brotherhood among men. Wes’s view of masculinity is heavily influenced by his life in a disadvantaged urban community, where violence and gang culture require men to command respect and avenge disrespect. After Ray beats him, Wes recalls Tony’s advice to “send a message,” so he gets a gun and starts tracking Ray down. The community’s perception of manhood and brotherhood motivates his friend to join in with a gun of his own, even though Ray is fleeing to his house and no longer a threat. Moore learns a different concept of respect and masculinity during his time at Valley Forge. Here, he sees men and boys authentically command respect through leadership and positive behavior. Moore’s study abroad time in South Africa also provides him a different model of masculinity and brotherhood as he learns about a rite of passage involving circumcision. Imagining the pain, Moore is impressed to see the community embrace its young Black men instead of fearing them.
Mentors
Mentors serve an important role in Wes’s and Moore’s lives, teaching them how to survive and succeed. Despite this, mentors are also a key factor in the different directions Wes and Moore take. Moore’s mentors, including administrators at Valley Forge Military Academy and even a former mayor of Baltimore, serve as an empowering and positive force that helps him break dangerous patterns and see his own potential. By contrast, Wes’s primary mentor, Tony, ultimately becomes a destructive influence. Moore’s mentors guide him to a path through college, graduate school, the military, and public service that he never could have imagined for himself in childhood, while Wes’s mentor helps lead him to a life sentence in prison. Other characters also have mentoring relationships, such as Moore’s grandfather benefitting from Kwame Nkrumah’s guidance when he first arrives in America. While mentors are significant influences in many characters’ lives, they cannot be the sole factor in changing anyone’s trajectory. This is evident in Mary, who sees how her employers, the Johnsons, have been able to build a better life. Despite being inspired by their example, Mary lacks the active guidance and the financial resources to achieve her goals.
