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Andy’s jacket, a bright, purple silk garment, was a symbol of power and domination. It was worn like a crown, providing authority and protection to those under their feet. However, it wasn’t Andy that made the jacket so significant, but the grand lettering at the back that read, THE ROYALS. The Royals were one of the most powerful and dominant gangs in the narrative, deduced on page 102, “The Royals and the Guardians, two of the biggest.” If someone were to mess with one Royal, the rest would back him up and provide security, similar to the greasers in the book, “The Outsiders.” The jacket meant Andy was a part of the gang, a part of the Royals. Although the gang provided protection, there would be no one to help Andy if the gang was not with him. Members of the Guardians would step on him and others would be too afraid to mix with a Royal, as suggested on page 101, “I don’t want to get mixed up in this. He’s a Royal. We help him and the Guardians’ll be down our necks.” Therefore, the jacket also symbolizes a false sense of security. Another downfall to the title, however, was assuming the identity of the gang. This could also be a good outcome, but in Andy’s case, he realized he wanted his own identity back. He was tired of being a Royal, tired of covering up an identity that had been inside of him since the beginning, although he hardly realized it.
Approximate Word count = 959
Approximate Pages = 3.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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