Tight

The maze gameplay of Ms. Pac-Man, the “old school” video game that Bryan and his friends play at the arcade next to the bodega, symbolizes the confusing and often treacherous terrain of middle-school life and the hazards of the protagonist’s tough neighborhood. In the game, the title character (Ms. Pac-Man) must navigate increasingly complex mazes while avoiding “ghosts” that pursue her and threaten her life. Bryan, who has just entered sixth grade and is allowed to have friends for the first time, faces an equally expanded labyrinth of choices, many of which are exciting but can also be misleading and even dangerous to his physical safety and emotional well-being. For instance, his new friend Mike represents taking the wrong path in the maze, for following Mike brings Bryan to places he never wanted to go. The two-faced Mike is therefore like one of the ghosts in Ms. Pac-Man that change color throughout the game; sometimes Mike is friendly and beneficial, but mostly he is a hazard to be avoided. Significantly, Mike resents Bryan’s skill at Ms. Pac-Man just as he derides Bryan for avoiding him and resisting his pressure to engage in risky, illegal behavior.