“For five years Mark had been in charge of Ricky. He felt like an eleven-year-old father. He’d taught him how to throw a football and ride a bike. He’d explained what he knew about sex. He’d warned him about drugs, and protected him from bullies. And he felt terrible about this introduction to vice. But it was just a cigarette. It could be much worse.”

Chapter 1 largely disregards character development in favor of plot, with one exception: Mark Sway. Because he is the protagonist, Mark’s development begins immediately. It is established early on that Mark has been thrust into adult roles and responsibilities because of his traumatic childhood involving an abusive father and preoccupied mother. Mark thus has to be a “father” to his younger brother—as well as himself. This quote also foreshadows the events to follow, where Mark’s introduction of Ricky to cigarettes leads them to witness Romey’s suicide, which triggers Ricky’s traumatic stress disorder and the chaotic events of the novel.

“The suit was not gaudy, just flashy. He could pass for a well-dressed drug importer or perhaps a hot Vegas bookie, and that was fine because he was the Blade and he expected people to notice, and when they looked at him they were supposed to see success. They were supposed to gawk in fear and get out of his way.”

One of the novel’s main antagonists, Barry Muldanno, is introduced in Chapter 2. He is immediately characterized as an egotistical, arrogant mafioso, who thrives on attention and intimidation. These character traits are reflected through his physical traits and manner of dress. Indeed, Muldanno’s mental state can be tracked throughout the novel by the state of his clothes and physical presentation, which decline as Muldanno becomes increasingly paranoid over being arrested.