Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dear Martin, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Privilege, Entitlement, and Implicit Bias
Appearances and Assumptions
Support, Acceptance, and Belonging
Opportunity and Upward Mobility
The Media and Public Discourse
Summary
Analysis
At Manny’s house one day shortly after his encounter with Officer Castillo, Justyce finds himself unable to deal with the violent video game flashing on the screen before him. “Sorry,” he says to Manny, asking him to turn it off. “Can’t really handle the gunshots and stuff right now.” Manny tells him it’s not a problem, adding that he’s willing to talk about what happened the other night if Justyce needs to. Justyce thanks him but declines his offer, instead rubbing his sore wrists and telling him that Melo gave him an ointment for the pain. He also mentions that he and she got back together. Hearing this, Manny expresses his disbelief. “That ho is the reason you sat in handcuffs for three hours,” he says, going on to remind Justyce that he once caught Melo cheating on him. Nonetheless, Justyce tells his friend to “let it go.”
It’s worth noting that Manny tells Justyce he’s willing to talk about what happened. This is the kind of support Justyce needs in the aftermath of his upsetting encounter with Castillo, even if he doesn’t feel like talking about it at the moment. Whether or not he says anything at this particular time, he knows that he has Manny to talk to if ever he feels like it. Given that the novel later explores what it’s like to deal with hardship without this kind of camaraderie, the fact that Manny is so willing to support Justyce becomes an important element of their relationship.
Themes
Refusing to drop the issue, Manny points out that Melo sat idly by while Castillo mistreated Justyce. All the same, Justyce refuses to listen to Manny criticize his girlfriend. Eventually, their conversation gets interrupted by Manny’s mother, Dr. Rivers, who comes in to ask what the boys would like for dinner. While she’s doing so, she receives a troubling call. Upon hanging up, she looks at Manny and tells him that his cousin, Quan, has been arrested and charged with murder. “They say he killed a police officer,” she says.
Manny wants to support Justyce in multiple ways. Not only does he want to talk about what happened with Officer Castillo (if that is indeed what Justyce wants), he also wants to help his friend see that Melo selfishly put him in a dangerous situation and that she doesn’t have his best interests in mind. Once again, then, he demonstrates his willingness to be there for his friend, even if Justyce doesn’t necessarily like what he’s saying.
Themes
