Crime as the overflow of hatred
The dilemma of the novel is that Tomas is more hateful than Gabe, and constantly tries to force his younger brother into a life of crime. Most of the novel is dedicated to how faithfully and resiliently Gabe fights his brother's bad influence, but Gabe ends up in the gang life anyway after a racist indirectly insults his mother for not being able to learn English. Then, when Tomas tries to force Gabe into crime, he agrees. In this novel, crime is the overflow of anger and hatred.
Injustice and disenfranchisement
Gabe fights a good fight, but in the end, his character is corrupted by his extraordinarily unfair, difficult life. He survived before by loving and supporting his mother, but after Gabe tries his hand at burglary, he is a criminal. The theme of injustice runs through the book from start to finish; after all, Tomas only began his career as a criminal after his father abandoned the family, seriously disenfranchising them all.
Tragedy and suffering
This novel is a tragedy because Gabe falls to temptation in the end of the story. The hubris of Tomas is his anger and the way he uses his anger as a right to mistreat and abuse others. Gabe is seriously beaten by his older brother throughout the novel until he attempts to run away, but tragically, Gabe's plan falls short. Also it's important to notice that technically, Gabe's first crime is grand theft auto, against his brother. This is the beginning of his downfall. In a broader sense, the story addresses the problem of extreme suffering and hopelessness.
