Billy Bathgate

I'm not entirely sure what our essay is on tomorrow, but I wanted to summarize the basic conclusions I have reached about my novel, Billy Bathgate by E.L. Doctorow.

1. Often, people choose to join gangs not only to better themselves socially and financially, but also to provide themselves with a sense of family that they might not have otherwise.

2. Once in a gang, the safest place to be is often near the leader so that there is a sense of safety in knowing the conversations taking place and the plans being executed.

3. Sometimes, a romantic relationship is the factor that will damage the loyalty of a gang member to his or her leader.

4. It is often important to maintain an open relationship with other gang members, keeping no secrets that may be found out, damaging credibility.

5. A mentor for a new member is never clearly stated, but often an older gang member will take a younger member under their wing and teach them enough to get by on their own.

Billy Bathgate is a novel that I would recommend to others interested in relationships between gang members and the inner-workings of a gang. It was interesting to see Bathgate's transformation from an innocent, poor boy to a smart, manipulative man.