Inquiry Project

I started reading my first novel for the inquiry project over my Christmas break and I realized that there are a lot of different aspects I didn't consider in regards to relationships within a gang. First of all, my mind just assumed that everyone is born into a gang, which I know is not true in most cases. Billy Bathgate, the young boy in my first novel, had no intention of ever being a part of Dutch Schultz's gang until the infamous gangster gave him ten dollars for his juggling talent. It was then that Bathgate decided that he wanted to integrate himself into the gang to improve his social standing. Money was his driving factor, but he soon realized that he would constantly have to watch his back and couldn't trust anyone, especially Schultz. Once in the gang, always in the gang. This is another component I didn't consider when I first started reading. Not all members are always going to be happy with the leadership of the gang, posing the question of how to ever remove oneself. It was made very clear at the beginning of the novel that if you cross the path of the leader or don't comply, the consequence is a long and painful death. Everything revolves around the leader and most gang members act in fear of this central figure, never speaking negatively of his character. Also, the leader is a male every time, because men are viewed as the dominant gender. I'm looking forward to examining the gang member relationships in my next two novels, set in different time periods and cultures.