After the crime and Eddie being displaced from the guilt the consequences of their actions reveal everything about the characters of Eddie and Marcus. Marcus a much more truthful individual is stuck with the blunt of all the punishment. These consequences force Marcus to realize everything that he had going for him in life and how this one wrong decision is going to affect his life. Eddie on the other hand continues to take his life for granted because his eyes were not opened to the seriousness of the crime he helped commit.
The communities reaction after the crime and Marcus' conviction showed how he was stereotyped as a black male with a poor upbringing that led to his criminal lifestyle. This is terrible because Marcus was such a great person. I believe that the fact that Marcus was black and stereotyped by society led to the fact that Eddie did not confess to having committed the crime with Marcus. Eddie was a weak friend. He should have stood up for Marcus who had already a much more difficult life and it could have really showed that not all of society is one big stereotype and that Marcus, and the black race in general, should not be stereotyped and associated with criminal activity. The novel payed tribute to interracial relations by showing the way Eddie's family had been a family for Marcus and how Eddie and Marcus were such great friends. After the crime it showed the way many people who are normally very accepting can still hold certain prejudices and discriminate against those they love. The novel revealed the power of stereotypes and the fact that they are still around today even though many of us would like to think otherwise.
