significance of The Gun

The gun is the primary motivator in the story. It is never established how Mack has a gun to give Jamal. Mack gives the gun to Jamal when he is trying to convince Jamal to take over the leadership of the Scorpions. Tito is afraid of the gun and voices his fear from the beginning. His concerns foreshadow the sad consequences of his actions. It seems unlikely from the beginning that Tito would be the one to use the gun, but his friendship for Jamal spurs him to use it to defend him. The gun hangs ominously over the boys from the minute they take possession of it. They hide it from the adults in their lives because they know it is wrong to have a gun. They are unsure as to how to make use of the gun, except that Jamal is keen enough to realize its potential as a threatening tool against Dwayne and Indian. The power of the gun to be more than just a threat is brought home when Angel is killed with it. Jamal finally rids himself of the gun in a garbage dumpster. The full consequence of the power of the gun does not materialize until Tito must return to Puerto Rico or face criminal charges here.