How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
From the streets of Detroit to the organized-crime families of Chicago, from the dirty South to the gang-infested neighborhoods of L.A. and New York, we all wear the mask. It is the one that says, "I am fearless, Idon't care, and I will destroy anything in my path, including myself." But all of us know that beneath this mask is a vulnerable boy whose heart has turned cold. (2.20)
Why do kids from marginalized communities pretend not to care? Is it because they're afraid that what they actually care about will always be out of reach? And what would it take to change the situation?
Quote #5
Like Dante journeying through theinferno, my life would forever be changed by the things I would witness and take part in—the violence of oppressed against oppressor, predator against prey, and the insane against the criminally insane.(2.28)
The Inferno is basically about a journey through hell, and it's no accident that Shaka mentions it here. Like Dante, Shaka is about to see a lot of different horrible things.
Quote #6
My heart fluttered like the broken wings of a bird. I was terrified. The cold, steel barrel pressing into my temple pressed into my consciousness a colder reality—at fourteen, I was about to die. (3.2)
This moment is a key turning point in Shaka's story. He's terrified of losing his life when someone points a gun at him just a few weeks into his life as a drug dealer. Being threatened with violence is one of the things that encourages Shaka to become more violent himself—it's a grim cycle.