Long Way Down Will Sparknotes

Did you know that there are at least 321 people that deal with gun violence on a daily basis? Out of the 321 people, 111 people have died from being shot. In the novel, Long Way Down, Will, the main character, experiences the death of his older brother, Shawn. A day after his death, Will decides to follow the rules, which are no crying, no snitching, and seeking revenge. He takes the elevator, on his way to kill Riggs, the guy that Will thinks killed his brother in order to avenge Shawn. In Jason Reynolds’ book Long Way Down, Mikey Holloman (Pops) is the most influential character in Will and his final decision to not follow the rules.To begin with, the first reason Mikey is the most important character in Will’s decision is that he faced the

Mikey also tells Will that he decided to follow the rules in order to avenge Mark. Mikey went out late at night and waited for Gee to come around so that he could shoot him, which he did. After that, Mikey states “Couldn’t kiss your mother,/couldn’t kiss you boys/good night./Just lay naked/in the scummy bathtub,/the cold porcelain/keeping me from sleep/from nightmares.” Before he shot Gee, he probably thought that taking revenge for his brother, Mark, was going to make him feel better, but it only made him feel worse. The extreme guilt of shooting someone haunted him and caused him to become isolated from the world and his loved ones. Will’s father then tells Will that he finds out the person he shot wasn’t the person that killed Uncle Mark, but just some guy that acted all tough. He shot the wrong person, which might also explain why he felt extremely guilty after killing Gee. As a result, Will states “staring at my father who/wasn't my father at all./At least not like I had imagined him./A man who moved with precision,/patience, purpose,/not no willy-nilly/buck-bucking off/at randoms/at random./Spent my whole damn life/missing a misser./That disappointed

This might lead to Will not wanting to make the same mistake his father did and reconsider killing Riggs. Perhaps, he might try to find evidence on why it might be Riggs that killed his brother, Shawn. In short, Mikey’s mistake might stop Will from following the rules and end the ongoing cycle of violence.In addition, Will’s father is a distinguished character in Will’s decision because he allows him to experience what it’s like to be at the edge of death. As Mikey goes in to hug Will, he reaches his hand down to Will’s waist, grabs the gun, and puts it to his head. In the novel, Will claims “POP STOOD OVER ME,/the gun pressed against/the side of my face./Was the first time I had/ever had one to my head./First time I had been that/close to death. To the end.”After experiencing what it was like to be at gunpoint, Will might begin to realize that if he decides to follow the rules and kill Riggs, someone might also follow the rules to avenge Riggs. This experience might cause him to change his mind about following the rules so that he doesn’t have to deal with the consequences of it, which is being