The Role of Friendship in Andy Mulligan's Trash

The book “Trash” ends with the protagonists Raphael, Gardo and Rat starting their new life together. In the course of the novel, they faced many challenges and their friendships grow. Each character has qualities, which helped build this friendship. The many qualities they present as individuals allow them to out smart and allude the police. Thought the book strangers become friends and accomplish tasks that the average dumpsite boy couldn’t dream of. It all starts when Raphael and Gardo discuss the idea of approaching rat in according to hide the bag. Gardo goes on to say “We need your help…” rat when on to say “That’s Ok” Raphael and Gardo were shocked (Mulligan, 2011, pg.26). They couldn’t believe rat was so quick and calm with a response to help the boys hide the bag that could end them in endless amounts of trouble if they were to be caught concealing it from the local police. When reading this passage I was stuck by rat’s selflessness to people he barely knew. He was willing to risk his safety to protect his newfound friends. Typically you see this kind of selflessness in a friendship that has grown over years. This is an overlapping quality throughout the book. In the climax of the book the starts out with a twist; As most people know friendships grow and form over time. The friendship went to another level when Raphael put his life one the line to protect his friends, while protecting the location of the missing bag. Raphael was in the prison fighting for his life “I didn’t find a bag, sir!” by this time through the interrogation Raphael was experiencing physical abuse and was still repeating to the police that “I didn’t find a bag, sir!”

Friendship stood out to me as one of the motifs throughout to me – from my perspective friendships are a big part of life. Friendships have helped me get to the place I am in my life, with influence from other qualities in my