Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up Theme in Dear Justyce

Quan is only 13 years old when he’s arrested for the first time, and he’s 16 when he confesses to shooting a white police officer (a crime, readers later find out, he didn’t actually commit). Throughout the novel, Nic Stone goes to great lengths to make sure that readers understand that Quan, his peers in the Black Jihad gang, and the vast majority of other characters in Dear Justyce are children, not adults, and should be treated as such. Because these children are Black though, others—especially those in the overwhelmingly white justice system—treat these children as though they’re adults starting at a very young age. Through Quan’s story, the novel suggests that racial bias robs Black children of their childhoods and their innocence long before they’re ready to grow up.

The structure and setup of Dear Justyce underscore that Quan, Justyce, and their peers are children. Chapters, for instance, have titles like “Snapshot: One Boy Alone in a Library (2012)” and “Snapshot: A Boy Meeting a Man (2016).” The boy referenced in these chapter titles is Quan, though chapter titles also sometimes refer to boys like Justyce or Justyce’s white friend Jared, driving home the point that Quan and Justyce (who are 18 and 19 in the novel’s present) are children in the novel’s many flashbacks. This highlights and calls into question the cultural narrative that sees Black people in the United States (and Black males in particular) as adult and dangerous at a very young age. This line of thinking reflects widespread racial bias amongst white people, and it has no basis in reality—in other words, the novel emphasizes that a 12-year-old Black boy is a child, just like a 12-year-old white boy is a child. The novel also shows that Quan is a child through his love of the rocket ship structure at the local playground. For years, Quan goes and hides in the rocket ship so he can imagine blasting off to a place where he’s safe and happy. This is something he does well into his teen years, illustrating how young and powerless Quan feels. Like many children, Quan has to turn to his imagination to protect himself from the harsh realities of the real world—and when the city removes the rocket ship from the playground, Quan feels like his childhood is effectively over.

Dear Justyce emphasizes that Quan is still a child to show how he’s unfairly treated as an adult by law enforcement—and sometimes, he’s not even treated like a human being. For instance, when Quan’s Daddy is violently dragged out of his home and arrested one night for dealing drugs, Quan (who’s 11 at the time) doesn’t escape unscathed. Rather, a huge, burly police officer picks Quan up and squeezes him so tightly that he can barely breathe. In his terror and confusion, Quan screams and struggles—understandably, given that he watches officers knock Daddy out before tossing him into a police van. Further, this passage includes clues that drive home just how young Quan is—he’s wearing Iron Man pajamas, and he’s so frightened that he wets himself. It’s clear to readers that Quan is a terrified little boy, not a dangerous adult who needs to be forcibly restrained. Later, as Quan begins committing crimes, the novel still encourages readers to see him as a child, not as an adult. During his first arrest at age 13, he steals a pack of playing cards simply because he feels like he needs to control some part of his life, and stealing allows him to have that sense of control. But the storeowner doesn’t give Quan the opportunity to simply put the cards back and leave the store, something that would acknowledge that Quan is a child in need of guidance and possibly a warning. The storeowner instead calls the cops—and the cop manhandles and verbally abuses Quan until, terrified, Quan wets himself again. The cop taunts Quan for acting like a scared little boy, but the novel suggests that that’s precisely the point: Quan is still a child.

Dear Justyce insists that the criminal justice system robs Black boys of their childhoods, unlike their white counterparts. After his first arrest, Quan meets an older boy named Trey. At 15, Trey has been in trouble with the law for years already, so he’s able to comfort Quan after the arrest. But Trey also articulates how unfairly Black boys like him and Quan are treated when they get in trouble. He describes how his Jewish lawyer told him about his son’s upcoming bar mitzvah, which would symbolically make his 13-year-old son a man. The lawyer was “shook” when Trey asked if he’d ever tell his son what the top cold Trey upon Trey’s arrest, that if “You wanna act like an adult, the law will treat your ass like one.” To the lawyer, it’s disturbing and shocking to think that the law would treat his 13-year-old son as an adult—while for Black boys like Trey and Quan, this is the norm. Years later, Quan sees the effects of this in the juvenile detention system. He writes to Justyce and tells him about how the Black and Latino kids in detention serve long sentences for minor crimes, like petty theft or even just knowing someone who’s in a gang. But white kids who end up incarcerated—like one boy who murdered his sleeping father with a butcher knife—get short sentences if they’re sentenced to serve time at all, and are assigned community service otherwise. Those white kids, in other words, aren’t treated like adults in the eyes of the law. They’re allowed to move on from their mistakes and resume their childhoods, while their Black counterparts will often end up imprisoned well into middle age. While the novel offers no tangible remedies for this, it advocates strongly for seeing Black children as children, who are just as deserving of compassion, kindness, and understanding as anyone else.

Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up ThemeTracker

The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up appears in each section of Dear Justyce. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.

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Section

Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up Quotes in Dear Justyce

Below you will find the important quotes in Dear Justyce related to the theme of Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up.

His foot hit [a cup of ginger ale] as the officer with his dumb, muscly arm crushing Quan’s rib cage carried Quan through the kitchen like Quan was some kind of doll baby.

The sudden freezing air as Quan was whisked outside in his thin Iron Man pajamas with no shoes or jacket...and the subsequent strange warmth running down Quan’s legs when he saw Just. How. Many.

Police cars.

There were.

Outside.

Related Characters: Quan Banks, Daddy

Page Number and Citation: 15-16

Explanation and Analysis:

The Quan of the novel’s present is dreaming about the night that Daddy was arrested, which happened back when Quan was 11. In addition to violently arresting Daddy, a cop also picked up Quan—who’d fallen asleep on the couch—and carried him outside, seemingly for no reason. The details and descriptions in this passage—like the superhero pajamas and the fact that Quan wets himself—clearly show that Quan is a child, whereas the cop is treating Quan harshly, as if he were an adult (and a criminal, at that). And along with this, it’s also clear that even if Quan wanted to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipi

Even at twelve, it didn’t escape Quan’s notice that the men in his mama’s life—Daddy included—used money to get her to do what they wanted her to do. It bothered him no end. But he wasn’t sure what he could do about it.

Which became a running theme: not knowing what he could do about anything.

So he stayed focused.

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), Daddy, Dwight, Mama

Page Number and Citation: 30

Explanation and Analysis:

Following Daddy’s arrest, Quan doesn’t feel like he has control over much in his life—but he decides that if he “stay[s] focused,” he can gain some modicum of control over what happens to him. It’s significant that Quan recognizes how men use money to control Mama. Quan’s family lives in tough, if not dire, financial circumstances. It’s not too long after this that Quan attempts to steal a cell phone so that he can buy his siblings shoes, an indicator of just how poor his family is. But at this point, before Quan has turned to theft to support his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut mi

“And best believe your father is gonna hear about this. Might even send him the evidence of your indiscretion.” Quan could hear the paper crinkle as she surely held it up in the air. “Cheating. I can’t even believe you—”

And that was all he heard. Because in that moment everything crystallized for Vernell LaQuan Banks Jr.

It didn’t matter what he did.

Staying focused didn’t give Quan any control at all.

Related Characters: Mama (speaker), Ms. Mays, Daddy, Quan Banks

Page Number and Citation: 36

Explanation and Analysis:

After Quan earns almost a perfect score on a difficult math test, he rushes home to show Mama—only to find that a teacher just called, accusing him of cheating, and that Mama believes the teacher. In this moment, Quan sees that he can’t control anything about his life. Prior to this point, “staying focused” had been Quan’s way of dealing with the trauma and powerlessness he felt after Daddy’s arrest. In his quest to stay focused, Quan studied hard for this math test and his hard work paid off. But when Mama refuses to listen to Quan and seems to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore labo

So he told Mama—who for the first time wasn’t healing from a COAN encounter—that he was going out.

And he headed to his former favorite playground place.

Stepping over the latest evidence of unsavory activity inside his rocket ship (at least there wouldn’t be any babies or diseases?), Quan climbed up to the observation deck. Largely to hide himself from anyone who might take issue with/make fun of an almost-thirteen-year-old hanging out in the grounded space vessel.

But once he got up there, Quan relaxed so much, he fell asleep.

Related Characters: Mama, Quan Banks, Dwight

Related Symbols: The Rocket Ship

Page Number and Citation: 46

Explanation and Analysis:

To cope with Dwight’s abusive and controlling behavior, Quan escapes to the rocket ship structure at his playground. “COAN” refers to “Count Olaf Ass Negro,” which Quan has taken to calling Dwight in his head—Count Olaf is the antagonist of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events novels, and he manages to find a new way to be horrible in each installment, just like Dwight. The condom that Quan finds in the rocket ship suggests that while Quan thinks of the rocket as a safe space, it might not be as safe as he thinks. In turn, this idea encapsulates Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magn

He locked eyes with the cop, and the Bad (Dad) Night washed over him, and his chest

locked up

the way it had when kid-snatcher cop had Quan’s scrawny eleven-year-old torso wrapped in that death grip.

Wasn’t the best time for it either. Swole Cop took Quan’s inability to answer questions—

We got a problem here, son?

You hear me talkin’ to you?

So you’re a tough guy then?

Not gonna answer my questions?

—as an act of defiance.

Quan found air the moment Swole Cop’s ham-ish hand locked around Quan’s (still scrawny) upper arm in a death grip.

Related Characters: Daddy, Quan Banks

Page Number and Citation: 61

Explanation and Analysis:

When the cop arrives to deal with Quan, who attempted to steal a deck of playing cards from a convenience store, Quan can’t speak—and as the book later pieces together, it’s because he’s experiencing a panic attack. The idea that the “Bad (Dad) Night” is “wash[ing] over him” suggests that the memories of that night are taking over and making it impossible for Quan to deal with the situation in front of him. Quan is later diagnosed with clinical anxiety, PTSD, and panic attacks, and his panic is triggered when he experiences situations that remind him of the night Daddy Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint

Trey couldn’t have known it (or maybe he could’ve?), but in that moment, Quan didn’t actually want to be alone.

He needed a friend.

Someone who cared.

Because from the moment Mama and Quan had stepped out of the fluorescent-lit law-and-order lair into the crisp Georgia evening, it was crystal clear to Quan that she no longer did.

Related Characters: Mama, Quan Banks, Trey

Related Symbols: The Rocket Ship

Page Number and Citation: 73

Explanation and Analysis:

A few days after Quan’s first arrest, he finds 15-year-old Trey waiting for him in the rocket ship at the playground. He’s thrilled to meet someone who seems to care about him, unlike Mama. This passage drives home how much young people in particular crave friendship and understanding. Quan had hoped that Mama might show him compassion or understanding—he was arrested, after all, for stealing a pack of cards in an attempt to control some part of his life. With this, the book makes it clear that Quan needs help and guidance as he manages his anger, not an arrest. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero si

“It’s this ceremony where a young Jewish dude becomes ‘accountable for his actions.’” He used air quotes. “So he goes from ‘boy’ to ‘man,’ essentially. Lawyer homie is sitting there all geeked, telling me about it, and I’m thinking to myself: So your son is a grown man by Jewish standards, yet still gets treated like a kid. Meanwhile ain’t no ceremonies for kids like us, but if we get in trouble we get treated like adults.”

Related Characters: Trey (speaker), Quan Banks

Related Symbols: The Rocket Ship

Page Number and Citation: 76

Explanation and Analysis:

During Trey and Quan’s first conversation in the park after Quan’s arrest, Trey tells Quan about what a bar mitzvah is. Through talking about the bar mitzvah, Trey takes issue with the idea that for white (and Jewish) kids, they undergo a ceremony that essentially turns them into adults—but due to the color of their skin, law enforcement would treat them like children if they were to get in trouble. But in contrast, Black kids like Quan and Trey are often treated like adults when they get in trouble, even though there’s no basis—symbolic or otherwise—for this treatment. Given the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis vel voluptatum. Assumenda officia maiores. Voluptatem sint velit. Quod quia sapiente. Cum sunt quo. Accusamus veritatis voluptatum. Rerum est et.

Quan’s gaze drops. Lands on a word carved into one of the bench’s wooden slats in little-kid lettering:

F U K C

What are kids like Quan supposed to do?

He swipes at his dampening eyes and shifts them back to the black hole where his galactic getaway vehicle used to be.

Dwight is dead.

And Quan is here. Stuck. Grounded.

Forever.

No getting out.

No flying away.

No lifting off.

Because Dwight’s death wasn’t an accident.

Related Characters: Dwight, Quan Banks, Martel

Related Symbols: The Rocket Ship

Page Number and Citation: 106

Explanation and Analysis:

Following Dwight’s murder by a member of Black Jihad, Quan goes to the park to think—but he discovers that his favorite rocket ship play structure has been removed. To Quan, this heralds the end of his childhood and the impossibility of a bright future, since now, Quan doesn’t think he has any choice but to stay with Black Jihad forever. In order to repay them for getting rid of the biggest antagonist in Quan’s life, Quan now essentially owes them that life. The misspelled curse word impresses on Quan how impossible his situation feels. He is, after all, just a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit volupt

I guess I didn’t realize just how big of a difference it could make to have somebody really believe in you. I been thinking a lot about Trey and Mar and Brad and them. We were all looking for the same things, man—support, protection, family, that type of shit. And we found SOME of it in one another, but we couldn’t really give each other no type of encouragement to do nothing GOOD because nobody was really giving US any. Matter fact, we typically got the opposite. People telling us how “bad” we were. Constantly looking at us like they expected only the worst.

How the hell’s a person supposed to give something they ain’t never had?

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), DeMarcus, Justyce, Martel, Trey, Brad

Page Number and Citation: 133

Explanation and Analysis:

In one of Quan’s letters to Justyce, Quan lays out how important Martel and Black Jihad’s support was for him and all the other boys in the gang. This, Quan suggests, is why he and the other boys joined Black Jihad in the first place: when they couldn’t find support or encouragement elsewhere, Martel was there to tell the boys that they mattered, that they had power, and that they’d be okay if they stuck together. In this way, Quan suggests that he and the other members of Black Jihad aren’t so different. They all came from situations where they Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum.

He kept pushin’. Come on, kid. We know you did it. Might as well just say so...shit like that.

When he said You know if we get one of your little buddies in here, we can get ‘em talkin’. You should just save ‘em the trouble, that’s when I broke. Just said

Fine, man. I did it. You happy now?

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), Justyce, Officer Tommy Castillo

Page Number and Citation: 182

Explanation and Analysis:

Over the summer, Justyce comes to visit Quan in prison so he can ask Quan about how his confession of killing Officer Castillo unfolded. Though it makes him uncomfortable and anxious, Quan obliges and gives Justyce the entire story. Here, he describes his third and final time in the interrogation room, when the cop ignored Quan’s request to remain silent and pushed Quan to confess. What Quan describes shows that the cops who question him aren’t actually interested in getting justice for Officer Castillo. If they were genuinely interested, the book implies, they wouldn’t be badgering Quan to confess to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Volupt

She came in and we talked for a while and she asked me a bunch of questions the other dude never asked. And I’m pretty sure she actually believes everything I told her. Which was even a little bit uncomfortable despite the fact that I was telling the truth.

I just didn’t realize what a difference it would make to be in conversation with someone who genuinely wants to keep me OUT of prison altogether. Shit made me realize that in all my years dealing with the system, I ain’t never had an attorney who wanted to see me totally free.

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), Attorney Adrienne Friedman, Justyce

Page Number and Citation: 185

Explanation and Analysis:

Quan tells Justyce about his first meeting with Attorney Friedman, which is dramatically different than Quan’s meetings with lawyers in the past. It’s first worth celebrating that Quan is having this experience. Because Attorney Friedman believes in Quan’s innocence and that he’ll be able to make a difference in the world out of prison, she throws herself into proving that Quan is innocent and becomes an important member of Quan’s support team. With this, the novel shows yet again how important it is for kids to have a variety of people in their network who believe in their worth and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Ali

But he was telling me how growing up, he was this real good kid, until some stuff happened to his family.

So he went looking for a new family. Like a lot of us do. Same story with another dude we call Stacks. He’s constantly talking about “this guy” he knows (aka himself) and how “he was workin’ to become a musician,” but “he was young and ain’t have no guidance”; how “he just wanted a family so he went and found one,” but then “he got in trouble doing family shit.”

And that’s what it comes down to. We find the families we were desperate for and learn different ways of going about things. Ways that sometimes land us in places/positions we don’t really wanna be in.

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), Justyce

Page Number and Citation: 187

Explanation and Analysis:

In a letter to Justyce, Quan talks about why he and so many other young people turn to gangs: they want to be a part of a family and when their biological families can’t support them, they have no choice but to look elsewhere. It’s significant that Quan mentions two other young men as he talks about this phenomenon. Prior to this, Quan has remained convinced, for the most part, that he made bad choices of his own volition, and that his experience exists in a vacuum. But now, Quan sees that this isn’t true. He’s not that different from Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt

“Gabe misses you,” his mama says, and she might as well have dropped a bucket of ice water on his head.

He’d get up and walk away if not for the fact that it’s his mama.

And beneath all his fury,
he still wants her to love him.

Related Characters: Mama (speaker), Quan Banks, Gabe

Page Number and Citation: 198

Explanation and Analysis:

Quan struggles to get through Mama’s first and only visit in prison. As he struggles to control his emotions during their conversation, he feels angry—but he still craves his mother’s love and thus doesn’t lash out at her. The fact that Quan still craves Mama’s love and support speaks first to how hopeful Quan is at heart. He may have given up hope of making Daddy proud or of making more of his life, but he hasn’t lost hope that Mama will, under the right circumstances, show Quan that he cares. Part of this has to do with the fact Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Tota

This is a real-ass Catch-22. I read that shit a couple weeks ago. (HELLA trippy book.) The only way to stay OUT of what I really have no choice but to go back to is to stay IN here. But the longer I’m IN here, the more debt I’ll rack up for when I do get OUT.

Kind of a no-win, ain’t it?

Story of my damn life.

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), Justyce, Martel, Trey

Page Number and Citation: 207

Explanation and Analysis:

When Quan learns about Dasia’s cancer diagnosis, he also learns that Martel and Trey have been stopping by to help Mama out and help with the bills. In Quan’s mind, this is a problem: before learning this information, Quan may have been able to bring himself to try to walk away from Martel, thanks to the robust support network he now has. But this information makes Quan see that he can’t actually do that—he needs to return to Black Jihad so he can repay his growing debts to Martel and the rest of the gang. Underpinning this passage is the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis vel voluptatum. Assumenda officia maiores. Voluptatem sint velit. Quod quia sapiente. Cum sunt quo. Accusamus veritatis voluptatum. Rerum est e

What if it wasn’t me? What if it was a kid

LIKE you? One with your exact history?

Quan had to think then. But not for long. Because that answer was obvious too. “I’d still invest.”

Invest what?

“Time. Energy. Resources...” The next word shocked him as it popped off his tongue; it bounced around the room in an echo-ish way the others hadn’t: “Belief.”

Belief?

“Yeah. Everyone should have somebody who believes in ‘em. Like no matter what they’ve done. Somebody who won’t give up on them.”

Then:

“No strings attached.”

He did get the point then. HE was willing to do for someone else what was being done for him. At no cost and with no strings. It was the right thing to do.

Period.

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), Tay (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 225-226

Explanation and Analysis:

In his head, Quan relives a conversation he had with his counselor, Tay. At this point, Quan is sleep deprived and too anxious to concentrate on his lessons, as he’s recently received a bill from Martel for his debts—and that caused Quan to wonder why anyone would spend their time and money on him and what he must owe them. As Quan thinks through this conversation, he realizes that it’s not necessary to put a monetary value on everything. It may be true that Attorney Friedman and Tay, for instance, may be helping Quan as part of their jobs (in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique p

The two BIG boys—if you can even call them that—chillin’ at the top of the climbing wall are wildly oblivious to the glares aimed at them from the actual children below.

Related Characters: Justyce (speaker), Quan Banks

Page Number and Citation: 253

Explanation and Analysis:

In the opening of the final chapter, which takes place six months after Quan is released from prison, the book describes Quan and Justyce as “two BIG” boys and implies that really, they’re not boys anymore. This is significant because this is the first time in the entirety of the novel that Stone allows readers to see Quan, Justyce, and the other young men she portrays as adults and not children. At this point, both Quan and Justyce are over the age of 18—that is, they’ve both become adults in a legal sense. In the law’s eyes, they are adults Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit be

“You miss [the rocket ship]?”

At first, Quan doesn’t respond. Because he really has to think about it. His eyes roam the always-clean park space. Touch on his mom [...] his sister [...] his brother [...] his best friend right beside him.

Only thing missing is his dad. But they write to each other weekly, and Quan’s been out to visit the old man a few times, so even that’s okay.

[...]

He smiles. “You know what, man? I don’t.”

“You don’t?”

“Nah,” Quan says. “No need to go to outer space.”

[...]

“Everything I need is right here.”

Related Characters: Quan Banks (speaker), Justyce (speaker), Mama, Daddy, Dasia, Gabe

Related Symbols: The Rocket Ship

Page Number and Citation: 253

Explanation and Analysis:

In the closing lines of the novel, Quan and Justyce chaperone Gabe’s 11th birthday party and reminisce about the rocket ship play structure at their old playground. Quan now lives with Mama and his half-siblings in the suburbs, and he’s reconnected with Daddy. For much of the novel, the rocket ship represented Quan’s hope that he was going to be able to escape the horrors of his lived experience. It’s where he went to escape Dwight’s abuse or the crushing sense that he wasn’t going to live up to Daddy’s expectations. As he got older, it became a place where Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus

Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up Theme Analysis

Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up ThemeTracker

Justice, Racial Bias, and Growing Up Quotes in Dear Justyce

Chapter 1: Doomed Quotes

Chapter 2: Downhill Quotes

Chapter 3: Disrespect Quotes

Chapter 4: Defiance Quotes

Chapter 5: Delinquent Quotes

Snapshot: A Boy Alone on a Run-Down Playground (2017) Quotes

April 24; Snapshot: A Postscript (Present Day) Quotes

Chapter 9: Dawg Quotes

June 1 Quotes

Chapter 10: Dasia Quotes

June 14 Quotes

Chapter 11: Debt Quotes

Snapshot: Two Young Men on a New (To Them) Playground Quotes