Identify and explain the role that each of the following play in the novel: masculinity, grief and loyalty.

Grief—deep sorrow caused by someone's death—is a major theme in Long Way Down. The theme arises early in the novel when Will states that his brother Shawn was killed two days earlier. In order to deal with his grief, Will resorts to "The Rules," a set of dictates that discourage crying and encourage revenge as a means of coping with the loss of a loved one. Reynolds builds on this central theme with the introduction of several ghosts of people who have died from gun homicide. Among the ghosts are Will's father and Shawn, both of whom sought to follow The Rules when feeling grief over Uncle Mark and Buck, respectively. Ultimately, the novel depicts a young man grappling with grief in an instance where the socially sanctioned form of mourning for males is to focus on their anger while denying any feelings that would expose them as weak or vulnerable.

Throughout the book, masculinity arises as a key theme. At fifteen, Will is on the threshold between childhood and adulthood. As such, his idea of what a man should be is informed by the examples set by Shawn and Buck, who in turn learned from Mikey and Uncle Mark. Will believes the men in his life all followed The Rules, and he reaches for these guidelines when coping with the loss of Shawn. However, The Rules are restrictive, stating that a man must not cry and therefore show fear or weakness. While Will tries to follow The Rules, the ghosts put up repeated challenges to his masculine posturing until Will breaks. Will's true vulnerability is exposed when he pees himself in fear, when he cries over his uncertainty about killing Riggs, and when he seems to want nothing more than to hug the people he has lost. Ultimately, the novel shows how The Rules encourage Will to imitate preconceived notions of masculinity that are emotionally harmful and lead to acts that harm both the individuals trying to live up to expectations and the society that must live with the consequences of their actions.