Daniel Alarcón's “Flood” focuses on a city that is “flooded” with gang conflict, and the gangs determine the fate of the citizens. The child narrator and the rest of the children in “Flood” are paradoxical compared to the usual portrayal of children. In “Flood” the children clearly have the “young gangster” in them. Whether the characters recognize themselves as gang members or innocent civilians, gangs and their ongoing conflicts and disagreements govern part of the characters' daily lives. Thus, the setting of “Flood” has great influence and authority on the lives of the characters. The drama takes place in Peru, in a disadvantaged city. We quickly learn that from an early age children are aware that avoiding involvement in gangs, or “College” is nearly impossible and that is why “[they call it] University because it is where [you go] when you [finish] at the top. school” (Alarcón 93). The characters know that being involved in some kind of gang-related activity is their destiny. However, we are shocked when we find that the term “University” is used to symbolize prison, as it is the exact opposite of the generally accepted definition of the term. Clearly, gangs limit children's futures, and gangs control children's fates. Furthermore, in “More than 86% of Peruvians feel unsafe” by Marguerite Cawley, the author highlights several characteristics of how Peru struggles with street gang conflicts, and side effects that these conflicts have on people. Cawley points out that the people of Peru live in apprehension and gangs maintain control using fear. An example of the gang controlling the future of civilians is evident through Lucas, Renan's older brother, who is in prison for assault. Although Luca……middle of paper……is common in Latin culture. Overall, we are inundated with the conflicts the characters experience and how the gang's conflicts affect their fate. Works CitedAlarcon, Daniel “Flood” Portable Legacies. Schmidt, Jan Zlotnik. and Lynne Crockett. Portable legacies: fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.Cawley, Marguerite. “Over 86% of Peruvians feel unsafe: government survey - InSight Crime Organized Crime in the Americas.” Over 86% of Peruvians feel unsafe: government survey - InSight Crime | Organized crime in the Americas. NP, Feb. 22, 2013. Web. Jan. 25, 2014. Shepherd, James F. “Gangs in America: A Deadly Game.” Gangs in America: A Deadly Game. Np, nd Web. 18 February 2014. “Poverty, Broken Families, Violence: The Making of a Gang Member.” The Trauma Mental Health Report. Np, 4 November 2011. Web. 18 February. 2014.