Actions of characters in both films are directly affected by the people they encounter who act as role models for the developing youths. The violent surroundings they lived and grew up in were difficult to escape and made survival harder as time went on. In each movie, the way role models influenced characters' decisions involving violence is represented very differently. From the opening scene, when a friend, O-Dog, murders two store clerks, Caine's summer is filled with violence.
Human life has little value, as even petty disputes lead to cold-blooded murder.
He hangs out with his best friend, Ricky, a teenage parent who hopes to win a football scholarship. Both boys are brought down to reality by their dangerous surroundings and by the actions of Ricky's brother and ex-convict, Doughboy. Constant scenes of gunplay appear throughout the film and only seem to fulfill an entertainment aspect without presenting a strong message. For example, Caine turns to violence after his cousin is killed and murders another teenager. Caine is driven to these actions because he has grown up with violence all around him and was never taught otherwise.