Not Cut out to be a Cop

       When Sal lands a job with Remi as a cop, his character is revealed through contrast with the job's requirements. Sal's personality is almost perfectly opposite to the personalities of his co-workers. The man from Alcatraz is always dying to make arrests and takes his actions to an extreme just to prove a point. Sal could not have less personal opinions or feelings of self-rightiousness; he is often satisfied just floating around and not offending anybody. This is probably why he is so easy to get along with. When he knocks on the door of the room of some young men drinking and shouting in the middle of the night, he does not assert himself, even though he knows it is time to do so. He merely explains he could lose him job if the noise does not go down, and then accepts a drink when he is offered one. By the end of the night, Sal is completely drunk and raises the American flag upside down. In my opinion, this represents his skewed idea of what it means to be an American. 

       Almost everything Sal says about America seems to be clash with what many people regard as American values or the "American Dream". When he and Remi begin stealing food, Sal remarks that he believes everyone in America is a natural born thief. Remi justifies his actions by quoting Truman, "We must cut down the cost of living". Both men interpret everything around them in a way that best suits their desires. Remi describes himself as a sort of Robin Hood, and he is always getting into trouble. Sal goes along with whatever is happening, and does not really stick to one idea or another. His bland personality makes him easy to get along with, but it also makes him an uninteresting character.