The Outside Circle

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses violence and abuse of Indigenous people.

Violence is a recurring motif throughout the novel, casting a shadow over the characters’ lives. At the beginning of the novel, Pete is entangled in a web of violence, working for a gang and extorting money from kids. He engages in a physical altercation with his mother’s partner, Dennis, which culminates in Pete shooting Dennis. In prison, violence remains a constant in Pete’s life as he aligns himself with a jail gang and attacks another inmate with a knife. Mirroring his brother’s path, Joey, too, becomes entangled in the gang’s activities, leading him to prison. This exemplifies the theme of Intergenerational Trauma and the Legacy of Colonialism.

The motif of violence not only manifests within the events of the novel but is also woven into the dialogues and illustrations. At the beginning of the story, Pete's language is marked by violence, evident in his swearing and derogatory language—for example, when Crystal reveals her pregnancy, Pete calls her a “stupid bitch” (11). The illustrations by Kelly Mellings reinforce the recurring motif of violence. The inner city setting is depicted as dark and ominous, and Pete’s gangster associates are portrayed using violent