In the beginning of the film, Marcus is exceedingly defensive of his own kind. He lives with a gang, as his mum kicked him out due to the fact that he joined the gang lifestyle during his early childhood. Marcus had a rough life growing up, witnessing many deaths, and even ending up in jail for a night after being wrongfully convicted of shooting his friend with a gun. He showed no attentiveness towards his education and perceives school to be a waste of time. However, by the end of the film, Marcus sees life through a different perspective, thanks to Erin Gruwell, and turns away from his gang lifestyle and moves back in with his mum.