Tribes

Gang behaviour can be interpreted differently: to the members, it is harmless fun; to the victims, it is destructive and gangs usually carry on being disorderly until gang behaviour can reach terrifying heights of disruption. Gangs can start at petty crimes and if allowed to continue, they might feel invincible and continue on to worse crimes like assault and maybe even murder. All through Tribes there are several cases of Kevin and the Tribe doing what they like, and they don’t care who’s life they’re upsetting,

‘‘What was so wrong with playing football on the bowling

green? Or riding their bikes at night over the local gold

course? Fun, that was all it was.’’

With the use of the repeated rhetorical questions, it seems Kevin is in denial of how destructive the tribe is being. He has been brainwashed into believing that the Tribe’s activities are harmless.

Gangs being out of control, with no imposing factors, might start to believe they can get away with anything, even murder. The Tribe particularity Salom, at one point tries to push MacAfee , leader of a rival gang, the Rebels, into the river when he knows MacAfee can’t swim. Salom believes he will be able to get away with murder, and he doesn’t seem that concerned about committing the crime.

Maybe murder is not that common an occurrence, but gang culture certainly is never pretty. Throughout the novel the Tribe and the other gangs commit many an ugly act. One example, is when the Tribe lock MacAfee in a disused and unclean toilet. MacAfee and his gang had disrupted Kevin’s parents line dancing performance, Salom remembering the Tribe promise, ‘You’re one of us now: one of the Tribe and if anyone hurts one of the Tribe, they hurt us all’ decides to ambush MacAfee to avenge Kevin’s parents,

‘‘Yes, in with the other turds, MacAfee’’

The word choice of ‘turd’ is suggesting that all Salom thinks of MacAfee is that, he is a disgusting object that you just turn your nose up at, which certainly isn’t pretty.

Tribes has several examples of all aspects of gang culture if somewhat tame at times. It explores the root cause, the attraction and the behaviour of gangs, but in a less violent, and less vulgar than real life. Consequently Tribes is a near-realistic way of portraying gang culture.